McGarrah Jessee
Encyclopedia
McGarrah Jessee is an advertising agency based in Austin, Texas
. The company was named “Southwest Agency of the Year” by Advertising Age
in 2009.
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
.
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.” By 2003, the firm had added Whataburger
restaurants and Shiner (beer) to its roster of clients. In 2007, Whataburger’s sales reached $1 billion for the first time.
Costa Del Mar
, a Florida-based high-end sunglasses company, became a client in 2008, as did Sweet Leaf Tea, in 2011.
McGarrah Jessee produces not only traditional advertising, but strategic planning, environmental and retail design, digital, packaging and uniforms. The agency has also achieved notoriety for its non-traditional and guerrilla marketing
campaigns, most notably for Shiner Bock.
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. 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.
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. The company was named “Southwest Agency of the Year” by Advertising Age
Advertising Age
Advertising Age is a magazine, delivering news, analysis and data on marketing and media. The magazine was started as a broadsheet newspaper in Chicago in 1930...
in 2009.
Founded in 1996 by Mark McGarrah and Bryan Jessee, who were colleagues at The Richards Group
The Richards Group
The Richards Group is an American advertising agency. It is the largest independently owned agency in the country. . Working with founder, Stan Richards, there are 29 creative group heads....
and GSD&M
GSD&M
GSD&M is an advertising agency located in Austin, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1971 by graduates of University of Texas at Austin - Roy Spence, Judy Trabulsi, Tim McClure and Steve Gurasich. Since 1998, GSD&M has been part of the Omnicom Group....
, the agency’s earliest clients included Gatti's Pizza
Gatti's Pizza
Gatti's Pizza is a Southeastern United States pizza-buffet chain. Gatti's Pizza, founded in 1964 is owned by Blue Sage Capital, a private equity investment firm. The corporate offices are in Austin, Texas.-History:...
and Seiko
Seiko
, more commonly known simply as Seiko , is a Japanese watch company.-History and ongoing developments:The company was founded in 1881, when Kintarō Hattori opened a watch and jewelry shop called in the Ginza area of Tokyo, Japan. Eleven years later, in 1892, he began to produce clocks under the...
.
In 1997, McGarrah Jessee became the agency of record for Frost National Bank
Frost National Bank
Frost National Bank is a nationally chartered bank founded in 1868 and based in San Antonio, Texas with more than 110 financial centers across Texas. Frost is the largest Texas-based bank with operations only in Texas, and is the 62nd largest U.S. bank by asset size...
and shortly after, created a brand campaign for the company anchored by the tagline, “We’re from here.” By 2003, the firm had added Whataburger
Whataburger
Whataburger is a privately held, regional restaurant chain specializing in hamburgers. The company, founded by Harmon Dobson, opened its first restaurant in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1950...
restaurants and Shiner (beer) to its roster of clients. In 2007, Whataburger’s sales reached $1 billion for the first time.
Costa Del Mar
Costa Del Mar
Costa Del Mar Sunglasses, Inc. is a designer and manufacturer of high-end polarized sunglasses for use in sports such as fishing, sailing, and surfing. It was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida...
, a Florida-based high-end sunglasses company, became a client in 2008, as did Sweet Leaf Tea, in 2011.
McGarrah Jessee produces not only traditional advertising, but strategic planning, environmental and retail design, digital, packaging and uniforms. The agency has also achieved notoriety for its non-traditional and guerrilla marketing
Guerrilla marketing
Guerrilla warfare is about waging small intermittent attacks on different territories of the opponent with the aim of harassing and demoralising the opponent and eventually securing permanent footholds....
campaigns, most notably for Shiner Bock.
In 2009, the company began restoration of the historic Starr Building (pictured), one of the exemplars of mid-century modern
Mid-century modern
Mid-Century modern is an architectural, interior and product design form that generally describes mid-20th century developments in modern design, architecture, and urban development from roughly 1933 to 1965...
architecture in the state of Texas. The Starr, which features a mural by twentieth-century artist Seymour Fogel
Seymour Fogel
Seymour Fogel was an American artist whose artistic output included social realist art early in the century, abstract art and expressionist art at mid-century, and transcendental art late in the century...
and interior design by international style
International style (architecture)
The International style is a major architectural style that emerged in the 1920s and 1930s, the formative decades of Modern architecture. The term originated from the name of a book by Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson, The International Style...
architect Florence Knoll
Florence Knoll
Florence Knoll Bassett is an American architect and furniture designer who studied under Mies van der Rohe and Eliel Saarinen. She was born in Saginaw, Michigan as Florence Schust and is known in familiar circles simply as "Shu"...
, became the firm’s new home in November 2010.