MIRANDA “RANDIE” SPEIR ’17, who majored in graphic design, said that TCU faculty set her up for success through networking events, which helped her forge connections in the advertising industry. Those contacts led to internships and, ultimately, a career.

By the time Speir completed her degree, she was already several months into a job as a junior art director with The Marketing Arm in Dallas. Following graduation, Speir transferred to the company’s Chicago office.

By the time Miranda Speir earned her degree in the spring of 2017, she was already several months into her career, thanks partly to TCU faculty who helped her forge connections in the industry. Courtesy of Miranda Speir

In 2019, Speir was lead art director on the team that won State Farm’s business with a pitch to reboot “Jake from State Farm,” a character who had appeared in a 2011 commercial. Speir traveled to the company’s headquarters to pitch the project, attended the casting call for Jake — the role went to actor Kevin Miles — and then helped build the advertising campaign.

Miles is now “a really good friend of mine. … We worked so closely together for so long,” Speir said, adding that the actor was a guest at her wedding in 2024.

She’s especially proud of the State Farm commercial about a grateful customer delivering complimentary pizza and a giant container of ranch dressing to Jake. Speir co-wrote the script for the spot.

“Twitter was going crazy,” said Speir, who was involved in every step of the commercial’s production. “It’s just really cool when you see your work become part of cultural conversation.”

After six years and two promotions at The Marketing Arm, she took a job as associate creative director at marketing agency BarkleyOKRP, where she works on the Planet Fitness account. As Speir’s career evolves, she makes an effort to help other up-and-coming advertising professionals.

“Something that’s really important to me is continuing to find ways to manage and mentor young female creatives,” she said, “so that we’re continuing to give them the resources and the platforms to then be creative directors.”