| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Advertising |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Headquarters | Austin, Texas, United States |
| Key people | Founders: Mark McGarrah, Bryan Jessee |
| Website | mcgarrahjessee.com |
McGarrah Jessee is an advertising agency based in Austin, Texas. The company was named “Southwest Agency of the Year” by Advertising Age in 2009.[1]
Founded in 1996 by Mark McGarrah and Bryan Jessee, who were colleagues at The Richards Group and GSD&M, the agency’s earliest clients included Gatti's Pizza and Seiko.[2]
In 1997, McGarrah Jessee became the agency of record for Frost National Bank and shortly after, created a brand campaign for the company anchored by the tagline, “We’re from here.”[3] By 2003, the firm had added Whataburger restaurants[4] and Shiner (beer)[5] to its roster of clients. In 2007, Whataburger’s sales reached $1 billion for the first time.[6]
Costa Del Mar, a Florida-based high-end sunglasses company, became a client in 2008, as did Sweet Leaf Tea, in 2011.[7][8]
McGarrah Jessee produces not only traditional advertising, but strategic planning, environmental and retail design, digital, packaging and uniforms.[9][10] The agency has also achieved notoriety for its non-traditional and guerrilla marketing campaigns, most notably for Shiner Bock.[11]
In 2009, the company began restoration of the historic Starr Building (pictured), one of the exemplars of mid-century modern architecture in the state of Texas.[12] The Starr, which features a mural by twentieth-century artist Seymour Fogel and interior design by international style architect Florence Knoll, became the firm’s new home in November 2010.[13]