How Camp Ape's Andrew Lovell Helps Local Attractions Stand Out

Andrew Lovell launched Camp Ape five years ago, and he wasn’t interested in following the traditional agency model. Instead, the Springfield-based designer, photographer and brand strategist set out to help businesses stand out, tell their stories and build stronger relationships with their audiences. Today, Camp Ape works with hospitality and destination brands across the Midwest.

Over time, Lovell began noticing a pattern. Many of the clients he most enjoyed working with were focused on creating memorable experiences for visitors and residents alike. Projects with Visit Springfield, Ozark Mountain Coffee, the Ozark Historic River District and other destination-focused businesses helped him recognize where his talents could make the biggest impact.

Rather than formally narrowing his services, Lovell says he simply leaned into the types of projects that energized him most. He found himself drawn to organizations that help shape how people experience a place, whether that’s through tourism, special events or local gathering spaces.

Growing up on a farm in Nebraska, Lovell spent family vacations visiting attractions in southwest Missouri, such as Silver Dollar City. Those trips helped shape his appreciation for destinations that make people feel attached to a place and give them a reason to return. Years later, he even got to work with Silver Dollar City as a client, which was a bit of a dream project.

Lovell believes one of the biggest mistakes businesses make is trying to replicate someone else’s success instead of identifying what makes them unique.

“You see a lot of the same industry-type leaders that are copying and pasting because they’ve seen the success from this other business,” he explains. “Although that works best for that company, it might not work best for that individual.”

As a solo studio owner, Lovell sees his size as an advantage. Clients work directly with him throughout the process, without layers of communication or account management.

“I really want to build relationships and to build connections more than anything,” he says. “So for me, it’s working with them individually and being able to create a client relationship that is kind of everlasting.”

For Lovell, success isn’t measured solely by the finished design. It’s measured by whether the work helps a business leave a lasting impression and gives people a reason to come back for more.

Launch the Small Talk

Education
Evangel University, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Digital Arts (2018)

Family
Married with two children

Favorite hobbies
Drawing, road trips, coffee shops, Star Wars, and Batman movies

Favorite ways to decompress
Spending time with his kids and exploring Silver Dollar City

One little-known fact
Lovell grew up in Nebraska and owns a Civil War-era soldier’s Bowie knife he discovered sticking out of the ground on his family’s property after years of rain erosion.