Ataboy extends its creative scope and reach with the addition of directors/content creators Nicolas Heller and Corydon Wagner.
Heller’s work encompasses two distinct influences; the low-fi, authenticity of life on the city’s streets as featured in his popular New York Nico Instagram feed, and the curated sensibility from a lifelong exposure to design. His work caught the attention of Rolling Stone, which commissioned a series of six docs on street culture, and he was recently profiled by New Balance on its Made.Mondays series. His short form work includes a new campaign of :10 vignette Snapchat ads for Foursquare/Swarm as well as a recent campaign for shipping company Shyp. Signing with Ataboy is a natural next step in his expansion into documentary style, brand-supported content and real people advertising. His growing status as a social influencer, conversant in commercial production, digital, and social content creation, positions Heller well for multi-platform campaigns.
Also based in New York City, Wagner is best known for bringing brands to life through impactful visuals and memorable performances. He has worked closely with agencies such as Chiel, TBWAChiatDay, McCann, MRM and Deep Focus to develop and deliver brand messages for clients such as Samsung, Sony, Microsoft, and more. In his breakout year as a commercial director, he received a 2012 Young Director Award at Cannes. This same year, he also won Ciclopes, AICP Show, Summit International, Hermes Creative Awards, and was a Webby Branded Content Honoree. Wagner also directs short films that reveal poignantly funny human truths.
Through Ataboy, Wagner has the opportunity to continue collaborating with Ataboy founder/creative director Vikkal Parikh, a longtime friend and mentor. The pair had the chance to team up on projects for AARP with Influent50 and Miracle Ear out of Wunderman Chicago earlier this year. Wagner took on the assignments as a freelancer, getting acquainted with Ataboy in the process, eventually leading to his signing with the company. Ataboy marks Wagner’s first national representation; earlier in his career he was handled regionally by Chapter Media.
Meanwhile Ataboy is the first formal career roost for Heller. The company is headed by Parikh and EP Diana Mandelare.
