• by Fern Siegel , August 5, 2024

Austin creative shop McGarrah Jessee (McJ), is launching Look Squirrel, a new social-media agency.

Fueled by the demand for social-first teams that deliver speed and creativity, McJ says Look Squirrel will enhance brand impact in a social world.

Laura Busino and Jarrod Corbett lead the new agency, which debuts with two clients: Whataburger and Deep Eddy Vodka.

Busino, who previously worked on the client-side at Ford Motor Co., serves as head of production for both Look Squirrel and McJ. Jarrod Corbett, formerly a creative director at Meta and TikTok, joins in the same capacity. Before that, he held posts at McCann, Doner and Critical Mass. At TikTok, he led global campaigns “Sounds for Business” and “Creative Cards.”

“We named the agency Look Squirrel as an acknowledgement of the always-on, frenetic nature of social media today. Brands are overwhelmed by the pace of it all and often focus on superficial content and one-dimensional metrics as a result. We know brands can do better and aim to create ideas that spark conversation, striving instead for always engaged,” said Busino.

Throughout their careers, Busino and Corbett have collaborated with top-tier brands, such as Coca-Cola, Dodge, John Deere, AT&T, Microsoft and American Express.

“As AI increasingly infiltrates our interactions, real, unmistakably human engagement on social is rapidly becoming the most valuable currency,” added Corbett. “The opportunity to spearhead transformative change in how social is conceived and executed ... resonated deeply with me.”

Donna Tuttle, vice president, marketing and communications, Whataburger, said: “Getting social media right these days requires a Swiss Army knife. The content has to connect with the customers, be relevant and clever, layer in real-time trends and execute on nuanced concepts – all while staying on brand. The creatives behind Look Squirrel have all of that versatility.”

McJ's client work includes Yeti, Lyft and Fender.