Director Aaron Ruell Joins Little Minx
Little Minx, a 2022 and 2024 AdAge A-List Production Company Standout, is pleased to announce that Aaron Ruell has joined the company for commercial representation in the U.S. Ruell is an American director, photographer and former actor who has worked with a wide range of top brands, including Burger King, NY Lottery, Serta, Macy’s, Kerrygold and Coca‑Cola, among others. California raised and Portland based, Ruell works with an editor's sense of rhythm and a designer's obsession with proportion. He specializes in pokerface comedy executed with a skewed elegance and disarming sincerity. His work moves effortlessly between the ridiculous and the tender, letting distinct art direction and clean geometry hold that magic space for very human awkwardness.
“Aaron has this dry, deadpan sense of humor, in his work and in himself, that I love,” said Little Minx Founder and President Rhea Scott. “It’s always followed by a lovely smile and a quick glance to see if I caught it. Subtle, sincere, and immensely talented, he carries a quietness and shyness that conceal a lot of bravado - and a truly spectacular body of work.”
Ruell said what stood out for him about Little Minx “is the level of artistry that lives on the roster, which feels unique to Rhea and her exceptional vision. My work tends to be comedy-driven, but there’s also a focus on art-direction. What I do best is create whole worlds that feel believable and at the same time absurd. Also, as a photographer and director, I feel totally at home in a place like Little Minx, which has many layers and real depth. I’m very happy we found each other.”
Ruell is best known for his acting turn as the nerdy introvert Kip Dynamite in the classic cult film Napoleon Dynamite, a role he stumbled into after graduating from film school. His short films Everything's Gone Green and Mary, both premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. His photography has been published in books and exhibited internationally—in New Orleans, Paris, Milan, Los Angeles, and Buenos Aires.
Ruell recently directed a four-spot ad campaign in Toronto. After it wrapped, an agency art director gifted him a miniature ceramic reproduction of his “nachos plate” title card from the now famous “dishes” title sequence of Napoleon Dynamite.
“People are really still into it, man,” he said. “And I don’t mind that at all.”
