Recent Posts

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Donut Junkie… Like many people, I want 01.20.09 — Bush’s last day in office — declared an international holiday. But even with “the End of an Error” in sight, right-wing extremists continue to wreak their corrosive damage, and are now invading the seemingly sheltered world of corporate junk food…Read More

by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC & Press Release Connoisseur… It’s amazing the difference between what you learn in school and actual business practices. I once took a class in public relations where we learned how to write a press release. The basic rule: write an actual news story about your company using standard journalistic practices to make it as objective as possible. That way, the news editor can make a few adjustments and print it as is. Then I ventured into the real business world andRead More

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + No Longer a Young Professor… Dear Young Professor: Congratulations, you’ve been hired by a Top 20 business school… well, it WAS a Top 20 business school, but you know how these things go. So let’s just say, congrats, you’ve got a job with health insurance! But now is no time to rest on your laurels, because first of all, newbie, you have no laurels. You have to earn those. And around here, you accomplish that by getting published…Read More

Fox TV has a long history of upsetting the status quo. At its launch, it gave the finger to the mainstream networks and introduced edgier shows such as “The Simpsons,” “In Living Color” and “Married With Children.” Sure, this meant smaller overall audiences than its rivals, but it scored with the ever desirable 18-49 demo, whom advertisers love. Now Fox TV is rocking the ad world again…Read More

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Donut Addict; photo by Tony Webster from San Francisco via Wikimedia Commons… I once found myself confronting a tower of gourmet donuts — and a whole lot of do-nothing. It was in the high-tech conference room of a multinational PR agency. The agency rep was telling our mutual client, a European tech startup, that they (the client) needed to do more research until any PR work could begin. The client looked shocked. They had already worked with this PR agency forRead More

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Just Got Turned Off Vodka; image – scan of actual magazine ad by Belvedere Vodka… So I’m thumbing through my favorite geek magazine, Wired, when I’m suddenly confronted by this Belvedere Vodka ad that features a woman applying lipstick in the reflection of a belt buckle. (If any of my female readers have ever executed such a task, please let me know… What? None of you have? Gee, what a surprise!) Not exactly what I expected in Wired amidstRead More

by Freddy Tran Nager, Found of Atomic Tango + Former Automotive Ad Writer… If you lust after cars like I do, then the writer you need to read — yes, NEED — is Dan Neil of the L.A. Times. Even if you don’t care about cars, you’ll love his column, “Rumble Seat.” Just check out the opening salvo from his review of the Nissan GT-R: I know what you want from me. You think I’m just your little word slut, that I’m here just to arouse you with steamy descriptionsRead More

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Husband of Beetle Owner… He sits there before his mic, round and retro, emanating the cuteness that made him an icon in America. On this occasion, he wears formal black, though he’s usually seen in the wild dressed like a jelly bean. Then he speaks… And out comes the voice of an old German man. And he’s saying, “I know vhat ze people vant.” Yeah, right… I usually applaud the work of ad agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky. For VW, theyRead More

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Likes His Satire Hard… “… While the internet is new and exciting for creative people, it hasn’t matured as a distribution mechanism… It will be a few years before digital distribution of media on the Internet can be monetized to an extent that necessitates content producers to forgo their fair value in more traditional media…” – Kyle, South Park I know, I shouldn’t be quoting cartoon characters as proof of anything, but sometimes the greatest truth is found inRead More

by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC American Apparel CEO Dov Charney acts like he’s missing his calling. The controversial and flamboyant entrepreneur could parlay his promotional genius and predilection for the prurient to become one hell of a porn producer. (The San Fernando Valley, the porn capital of the world, is just over the hill from American Apparel’s headquarters.) It would certainly suit his notorious lifestyle…Read More