When the Dallas Mavericks selected Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the team was ready with a major announcement: a massive billboard in New York City's Times Square.
Among the creatives who helped bring that moment to life were two Columbus College of Art & Design (CCAD) alumni.
Myles Tanner (Advertising & Graphic Design, 2020) and Earl Childress (Advertising & Graphic Design, 2023) are making their mark with the Mavericks, developing campaigns that reach millions of basketball fans. Tanner is a senior creative producer, while Childress is a senior graphic designer. Together, they're helping shape how one of the NBA's most recognizable franchises tells its stories and connects with audiences.
Their work has earned Emmy recognition. Their careers have taken them across the country. And the creative skills they use every day were developed in CCAD classrooms.
From graphic design degrees to NBA careers
Professional sports franchises need more than great athletes. They need designers, producers, storytellers, and creative thinkers who can build a brand and connect with audiences. For Tanner and Childress, studying Advertising & Graphic Design at CCAD helped open those doors.
Tanner began building industry experience while still in college, interning with Ohio State athletics. For his senior capstone, he reimagined the LA Clippers' brand, then went on to intern with the actual NBA franchise. Creative roles with the Oklahoma City Thunder and New York Knicks followed before he landed in Dallas.
Childress began his career creating social media graphics for the St. Louis Cardinals before joining the Mavericks, where he's entering his third season.
Today, both have moved beyond executing individual creative assignments. They help set the creative direction for major campaigns, develop concepts that work across multiple platforms, and pitch ambitious ideas to organizational leadership.
They're not just bringing someone else's vision to life. They're helping decide what that vision should be.
LEARNING TO PITCH BIG IDEAS. SHORTENING IT UP WILL HELP LAYOUT.
Ask Tanner and Childress what prepared them for their careers, and they'll both point to something they practiced constantly at CCAD: presenting their work.
At the Mavericks, a great campaign starts with a great idea. But bringing it to life means building a compelling pitch, communicating a creative vision, and earning buy-in from colleagues and executives.
"At CCAD, we learned how to present our ideas, not just make the work," Childress said. "That's something I use every day."
Tanner recalls developing polished presentations and pitching ambitious, "blue sky" concepts in Professor James Lutz's classes. Those experiences mirror the work he does today, from developing video concepts to leading creative production. And then there's critique.
"You're not always going to hear that your idea is great," Tanner said. "Learning how to take critique and make your work better is a huge part of the job."
The same skills that helped them succeed in CCAD classrooms now help them lead creative conversations, collaborate across departments, and turn ambitious concepts into campaigns seen by millions.
How one CCAD alum inspired another
Long before they became coworkers in Dallas, Tanner's work was already influencing Childress.
While Childress was studying at CCAD, Professor Matthew Mohr shared Tanner's NBA team rebrand capstone project with his class. Seeing a fellow CCAD student turn a classroom assignment into an internship and eventual career in professional basketball expanded Childress' sense of what was possible.
"It gave me a benchmark," Childress said. "Seeing someone from CCAD doing that made me realize I could do it, too."
Years later, their careers brought them together at the Mavericks, where they now collaborate on the kind of high-profile creative work they once imagined as students.
It's a connection that illustrates something bigger about CCAD: The CCAD creative community students become part of doesn't end at graduation. It continues to inspire, connect, and create opportunities throughout their careers.
For Tanner and Childress, that means helping shape the creative identity of an NBA franchise. For future CCAD students, their story offers a glimpse of just how many places a creative career can lead.
Your creative career starts here.
From professional sports to entertainment, technology, and beyond, creative careers are everywhere. Explore how CCAD's programs can help you turn your ideas into a career.
Want to know how CCAD helps students prepare for life after college? Explore the career resources, professional connections, and opportunities available to CCAD students.
