Founder + Creative Strategist, Atomic Tango
Adjunct Professor, University of Southern California
Freddy Tran Nager
For nearly three decades, Freddy Tran Nager has crafted marketing content and creative strategies for a variety of industries and platforms.
The Early Years:
MCA Records + Saatchi & Saatchi
In 1994, Freddy directed one of the world’s first entertainment websites, the acclaimed AMP: MCA Records Online. He also created ads for such acts and albums as Tom Petty, BB King, Mary J. Blige, and Pulp Fiction.
Freddy subsequently joined major ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi as Sr. Copywriter for Toyota interactive marketing, including their award-winning website. In this role, he also created one of the Web’s first User Generated Content campaigns.
Enter The Dotcom Boom
After winning multiple awards at Saatchi, Freddy left to join digital agency Magnet Interactive, where he worked on the Nissan and Infiniti websites, and led a twisted business pitch that won the National Lampoon account.
Over the ensuing years, Freddy directed the world’s first infomercial-zine, launched a pioneering sports blog (TURFgeeks), created a national buzz for the NFL on Fox launch, directed an integrated-marketing campaign (direct mail + digital media) for Royal Caribbean Cruises, and helped a viral video director land on David Letterman’s show.
Entrepreneurship Time
In 2007, Freddy launched his own marketing consultancy, Atomic Tango LLC, which has served major brands (Lexus, Barnes & Noble), foreign companies marketing in the U.S., high-profile individuals (including celebrity nutritionist Rachel Beller), and major universities and nonprofits. One of his favorite projects entailed influencer marketing an interactive zombie movie years before “influencers” was even a term.
Teaching, Lecturing + More
In addition to running Atomic Tango, Freddy serves as the Entrepreneurial Communication Expert in Residence at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. There he directs the student ad agency and teaches multiple graduate-level courses, featuring such topics as influencer marketing, website strategies, and entrepreneurial communication.
Freddy has also given talks to entrepreneurs in China, marketers in New Orleans, renaissance women in Houston, and fitness trainers in Long Beach. He’s been interviewed by Marketplace (American public radio), The Guardian (UK), Les Affaires (Canada), and Sondag (Finland), to name a few.
In his spare time, Freddy watches too much football (Go Trojans! Go Steelers!), helps his wife herd cats for her lifestyle startup Marcy Very Much, and is working on multiple books for Atomic Tango Publishing.
Want to find out more? Just drop him a line…
Freddy Facts
Education:
- AB Harvard University (East Asian Studies & Sociology)
- MBA University of Southern California (Marketing & Entrepreneurship)
Research & Expertise:
- Branding & Positioning
- Content Strategy
- Copywriting
- Creative Direction
- Entrepreneurial Marketing
- Influencer Marketing
- Marketing Forensics
- Social Entrepreneurship
Key Professional Gigs:
- Atomic Tango LLC, Founder (current)
- Saatchi & Saatchi, Sr. Interactive Copywriter (Toyota)
- MCA Records/Universal Music Group, Copywriter & Website Editor
- Magnet Interactive, Sr. Content Director (Nissan, Infiniti, National Lampoon)
Awards + Recognition:
- Adweek
- Channel Seven Online
- Communication Arts
- HOW Design
- Interactivity
- International Automotive Ad Awards (2-time winner)
- Logo Lounge
- Lulu Awards
- One Show
- Saatchi & Saatchi creative award
- Step Inside Design
- Wow! Book
- ZD-NET
Teaching Experience:
- USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, Adjunct Professor + Entrepreneurial Communication Expert in Residence
- UCLA Extension
- Emerson College
- Antioch University, M.A. in Organization Management Program
- RKC of Zurich, Switzerland, MBA Program
Public Speaking:
- American Marketing Association (New Orleans)
- California China Summit
- CCEE (ecommerce conference in China)
- Fitness MBA Summit
- Global Innovation Fellows
- National Broadcasting Society AERho Convention
- OnePiece Work Global Entrepreneurship Panel
- Regional Independent School Communicators
- Renaissance Women Summit (Houston)
- SoGal Influencer Summit
- Taste of China Awards (Silicon Valley)
- USC Alumni Association Social Entrepreneur Forum
Professional Social Media:
