Ethel Rubinstein began her career almost by accident — and never looked back. A Brandeis University graduate, she took a temporary position at an ad agency while waiting to start law school and was immediately hooked. She joined Geer DuBois in 1976 and rose swiftly, becoming VP/Director of Broadcast at just 24 years old. Over more than a decade there, she developed the production instincts and client sensibility that would define everything that followed.
In 1987, Ethel joined RSA/USA — the American arm of Ridley and Tony Scott's London production company — as Executive Producer at its New York office, where she oversaw the growing body of work produced by the legendary food and beverage director Patrick Morgan, one of RSA's founding partners.
In 1992, she joined the Blue Rock Editing Company, partnering with her long-time editor, John Palestrini. There, she became the architect of a way of working unlike anything advertising had ever experienced: five floors at 575 Lexington Avenue housing visual effects and design (Spontaneous), finishing (Ballistic), fashion and beauty (Scarlett), audio post and mix (Blast), and at its core, the editors of Blue Rock. That model of vertically integrated creative services set the industry standard for seamless, end-to-end execution.
John Palestrini passed in 2013, and Ethel became sole owner of the firm at a time that the media landscape was changing faster than ever. In 2018, she launched LVLY — a complete reimagining of the company for a new era — with a single, intentional goal: to do whatever it takes, creatively and technically, to make agencies and global brands stand out. A west coast office followed in 2019, and in 2022 the acquisition of Brooklyn-based Juniper Jones brought strategic design and branding as well as additional VFX capabilities fully under the LVLY umbrella. Today LVLY's divisions — LVLY Studio, LVLY Editorial & Decibel — form an ecosystem spanning ideation, visual identity, design, 3D, editorial and sound, serving legendary clients including L'Oréal, Amazon, Nike, Toyota and AT&T, among many others. A certified woman-owned business (WBENC), LVLY operates with locations in New York and Los Angeles.
Throughout her career, Ethel has been as committed to the industry's people and institutions as to its craft. She served on the judging panels of both the Emmy Awards (Academy of Television Arts & Sciences) and the AICP Show — the annual competition whose winners enter the permanent collection of The Museum of Modern Art. She has been an active supporter of New York Women in Communications (NYWICI), Women in Film & Television, and AICE (Association of Independent Creative Editors), and has been a long-time benefactor of the Film Society of Lincoln Center. In 2009, she was named to the inaugural Boards Magazine list of Advertising Women of Excellence.
In 2026, Ethel was honored with the AICP Post Impact Award, an accolade presented to individuals whose contributions to commercial post production rise to the level of major artistic or cultural significance. It is among the most meaningful recognitions the industry bestows — and a fitting capstone for a career spent, in her own words, living in the future.
Ethel lives in NYC with her husband, just three blocks from her daughter’s family, treasuring every moment she spends with her beloved grandson.