Danny Nathan

Current

Digital Anthropologist/Writer at *AmongMany
Creative Strategist & UX Designer at POKE

Past

Lecturer at Miami Ad School
Guest Lecturer at University of Texas at Austin
Guest Lecturer at Pratt Institute

Freelance Creative Strategist at Urban Escapes
Treasure Hunter/Blogger at JoshSpear.com
Freelance Creative Strategist at Undercurrent
Art Director at Merkley + Partners
Editor & Blogger at Beyond Madison Avenue
Freelance Art Director at Tractenberg Advertising
Freelance Art Director at Cline Davis & Mann
Freelance Art Director & Strategist at Arsenal Creative
Freelance Designer at Author, Rabbi Sam Stahl
Freelance Art Director at DiMassimo Goldstein
Freelance Art Director at DDB
Freelance Art Director at Toy
Freelance Designer at The Museum of American Finance

see less...

13 more...

Education

The University of Texas at Austin
Washington University in St. Louis

Connections

186 connections

Industry

Marketing and Advertising

Websites

Danny Nathan’s Summary

Danny is a visual storyteller, a weaver of words, and a brand initiator. His fascination with impressions and monikers, branding and strategy, as well as all forms of design, shaped a diverse education. After completing a B.A. with dual majors in marketing and acting at Washington University in St. Louis, Danny went on to earn his M.A. in advertising from the renowned Texas Creative Program at the University of Texas in Austin.

Bolstered by a strong marketing background and a keen eye for design, exposure to the theories of media-neutral advertising and creativity opened Danny’s eyes to possibilities beyond “traditional” branding. He immersed himself in the digital landscape, studying and participating in the current internet trends which are now synonymous with contemporary culture.

After serving as a founding writer, and later Editor, for Beyond Madison Avenue (ranked one of Ad Age’s top 70 media and marketing blogs) as well as contributing regularly to JoshSpear.com, a premiere trend-spotting and cool hunting blog, Danny launched the *AmongMany Network in June of 2008.

This growing collection of online media provides a place for like-minded people to gather and discuss the ever-evolving landscape of technology, creativity, and communications.

Danny Nathan’s Specialties:

Connecting People; Branding & Strategy; Traditional & Non-traditional Media Concepting; Social Media; Digital Strategy; Art Direction; Copywriting; Design; Photography; Blogging

Danny Nathan’s Experience

Digital Anthropologist/Writer

*AmongMany

(Online Media industry)

June 2008 — Present (1 year 6 months)

The *AmongMany network consists of a collection of sites:

BrandsAmongMany.com is a starting point for discussion about branding, strategy, and creative communication. BrandsAmongMany is a place for proponents of the new brand world to share thoughts and ideas and, hopefully, influence the direction of these changes to the benefit of everyone involved.

ThingsAmongMany.com is a curated collection of ideas, objects, and designs from around the world. ThingsAmongMany is born from the natural interest that creative people have in creative things. Ideas, objects, and designs, realized or imaginative, make the world go round. This is a place for those that have caught our attention to be collected and shared with the rest of the world.

1AmongMany.com is the personal portfolio and website of Danny Nathan, *AmongMany’s Founder and Editor.

And, last but certainly not least, *AmongMany.com is the collection point for each of these other pieces.
Creative Strategist & UX Designer

POKE

(Privately Held; Marketing and Advertising industry)

November 2007 — Present (2 years 1 month)
Lecturer

Miami Ad School

(Educational Institution; Marketing and Advertising industry)

July 2009 — September 2009 (3 months)

Taught a summer quarter class entitled "How to forget everything you've learned about advertising (and start making useful things that advertise.)" This course encouraged a group of art directors and copywriters to think outside the constraints that plague ad school classes by teaching them to embrace social media and technology in a way that creates branded utility and value rather than simple "advertising".
Guest Lecturer

University of Texas at Austin

(Educational Institution; Higher Education industry)

June 2009 — July 2009 (2 months)

Taught an assignment for a "new media" class dealing with the ways in which technology and digital media have effected the state of the advertising/branding/marketing industries.
Guest Lecturer

Pratt Institute

(Educational Institution; Higher Education industry)

March 2009 — April 2009 (2 months)

Guest lecturer for a senior level Art Director's course. Our assignmentdealt with self promotion utilizing a digital and social toolkit.
Freelance Creative Strategist

Urban Escapes

(Health, Wellness and Fitness industry)

2008 — 2008 (less than a year)
Treasure Hunter/Blogger

JoshSpear.com

(Writing and Editing industry)

July 2007 — January 2008 (7 months)

JoshSpear.com is one of the most highly regarded trend-spotting and cool hunting blogs on the internet. It is “a daily source of inspiration for marketers, brand managers, advertising executives, and a wide range of everyday people from around the world who love to stay ahead of the curve.” Started by Josh in 2004, the blog now includes a group of treasure hunters from around the world.
Freelance Creative Strategist

Undercurrent

(Marketing and Advertising industry)

2007 — 2007 (less than a year)
Art Director

Merkley + Partners

(Public Company; Design industry)

June 2006 — November 2007 (1 year 6 months)
Editor & Blogger

Beyond Madison Avenue

(Marketing and Advertising industry)

September 2005 — November 2007 (2 years 3 months)

Beyond Madison Avenue was created in September 2005 as an outlet for a few select gurus to share their insights on branding and strategy, marketing and advertising, and traditional and innovative media opportunities. While at BMA, readership was expanded to over fourteen hundred subscribers, and the blog garnered more than four hundred visits per day. During my time with BMA, it was regularly ranked among the top 70 of Ad Age’s media and marketing blogs.

I started writing for Beyond Madison Avenue at its inception and served as Editor from September 2006 to November 2007. Under my guidance, BMA grew to include its own podcast, and was voted the Most Valuable Blog in a competition sponsored by eminent blogger, Joseph Jaffe, ahead of prominent challengers such as Seth Godin and Wired Magazine.
Freelance Art Director

Tractenberg Advertising

(Privately Held; Public Relations and Communications industry)

2006 — 2006 (less than a year)
Freelance Art Director

Cline Davis & Mann

(Public Company; Marketing and Advertising industry)

November 2005 — February 2006 (4 months)
Freelance Art Director & Strategist

Arsenal Creative

(Marketing and Advertising industry)

January 2005 — 2005 (less than a year)
Freelance Designer

Author, Rabbi Sam Stahl

(Writing and Editing industry)

2005 — 2005 (less than a year)

I was hired by Rabbi Stahl to design the book jacket for his latest work, Boundaries Not Barriers. After discussing the project and consulting with the publisher, I photographed and designed a book jacket that initially pushed the author's comfort limit, but ultimately proved to be a unique and complimentary solution to his narrative.
Freelance Art Director

DiMassimo Goldstein

(Privately Held; Marketing and Advertising industry)

2005 — 2005 (less than a year)
Freelance Art Director

DDB

(Public Company; OMC; Marketing and Advertising industry)

2005 — 2005 (less than a year)
Freelance Art Director

Toy

(Privately Held; Marketing and Advertising industry)

2005 — 2005 (less than a year)
Freelance Designer

The Museum of American Finance

(Museums and Institutions industry)

2005 — 2005 (less than a year)