Banana Republic Debuts ‘The Agency’ Micro-Mockumentary, featuring Jack Innanen, from COPE and Grand Nature

BTS photographer: Yovanni Del Rio

New York’s last analog travel agency is about to undergo a modern transformation in a five-part series of mockumentary micro-shorts for Banana Republic. Starring four distinctly stylish versions of comedian Jack Innanen as several agency employees and actress and comedian Taylor Ortega as a representative from “corporate,” the project from COPE Global and Grand Nature reintroduces the classic brand through a playful narrative told through a contemporary social media lens. 

Looking to honor and reconnect with its legacy of adventure, Banana Republic turned to COPE to build a TikTok-first miniseries that celebrated the retailer’s timeless aesthetic.  From there, COPE brought on Grand Nature to help shape a culturally relevant story and execute the vision with a strong New York-inspired point of view. Grand Nature enlisted frequent collaborators writer / director Jeffrey Scotti Schroder (director of last year’s independent breakout feature ‘Or Something’ starring Kareem Rahma) and legendary indie film cinematographer Sean Price Williams. The resulting microseries seamlessly juxtaposes Williams’ trademark handheld camera work with 70s-inspired set design, weaving in visual cues that pay homage to Banana Republic history. Adding another layer to the story, the project’s actual crew, production team, and agency play fictionalized versions of themselves (as ‘Banana Republic Productions’) in a meta behind-the-scenes element, further entertaining audiences while incorporating a wide variety of Banana Republic apparel.

End to end, the project took about two weeks to complete, including a one-day shoot. “Part of Grand Nature’s secret sauce is to bring an episodic approach to projects when it makes sense. We’re able to build curated writer’s rooms with some of the most influential comedians and writers working in TV. This process can transform even the smallest kernel of an idea into polished scripts that map to the creative ambition of the work. This allows us to then create content that feels authentic, relevant, and entertaining,” explained Brianna Sedor, CCO / EP, Grand Nature. “Banana Republic was a great partner, and this was a fun and rewarding collaboration. Collaborating closely with COPE, we developed snappy punchlines that introduce Banana Republic’s new vision for the brand, quickly bringing the micro-series to life with the help of an incredible team of writers and comedians.” 

“This is exactly why we set up Grand Nature: to create original IP that audiences actually want to see,” said Chris Abitbol, Founder / EP, Grand Nature. “COPE has the vision to champion that kind of work, and we’re proud to help bring it to life with them.”

Grand Nature and members of COPE previously partnered on creating microdrama “The Scene,” starring Rachel Sennott, for Marc Jacobs, as well as “The Swap,” which featured appearances by Jemima Kirk, Jeremy O’Harris, and Rowan Blanchard. Steeped in New York culture, the entertainment-driven initiative marked a bold new creative direction for the luxury brand rolling out earlier this year across social channels. 

Formed in late 2025 by Chris Abitbol, David Barnes, Max Fisher, and Brianna Sedor, Grand Nature has quickly gained industry attention for its fresh take on branded entertainment. The company’s top priority is cultivating a strong network of creative and filmmaking talent, then expertly curating teams to match project needs. For one of its first projects, Grand Nature arranged for Academy Award winner (and Arsenal superfan) Spike Lee to direct the short film “Who Are Ya?” for Arsenal Football Club and its financial partner Airwallex via Uncommon Creative Studio. That work was quickly followed by a candid fly-on-the-wall campaign directed by well-known prankster Eric Andre. The hidden camera style film humorously features people named Reese (or Reece or Rhys) in a focus group testing SNICKER’s new peanut butter squares and ice cream bar.