The Brilliance of Jim Johnson (Craig Douglass Commentary)

A file photo of Jim Johnson

The light that shone from Jim Johnson was brilliant. It sparkled. A combination of intellect and imagination. And what an imagination!

An art, design, and caricature virtuoso, Jim translated his talent into advertising through visual communications. Communications that were iconic and memorable, while effectively furthering the objective of the task. Whimsy with a purpose.

After graduating from the University of Arkansas, Jim moved to Kansas City to work for J.C. Hall, founder of Hallmark Cards. “Mr. Hall’s first name was Joyce,” Jim told me. “But if anyone ever called him Joyce, they were in serious trouble. I did a couple of cartoons on that,” he said, “but kept them to myself.” (I wonder how many other private musings were captured yet concealed?)

The Hallmark Card experience was a fruitful marriage of artist and deft scripter: arts and letters combining in one frame to make a singular, salient point.

Joining then partnering with Wayne Cranford seems today to be an obvious next step. They first worked together at the Hockersmith Agency, a known entity with high-profile advertising accounts. It was a proving ground.

Leaving in 1962 to form their own agency – Cranford Johnson – the two-man band soon struck a different drumbeat corporate and political leaders would soon hear — and hire.

Cranford Johnson had a creative spark. That spark was created by Jim, and it soon ignited a blaze of excellence in marketing communications benefiting to this day a wide array of appreciative clients.

The many successful new-business pitches in those early days rested on Jim’s creative skills and Wayne’s business acumen. Wayne was quick to share the formula. “Jim would get their attention and I would promise to spend their money wisely,” he said. “But first, you had to get their attention. Jim knew how.”

With a sharpened Eberhard Faber #2 and a single piece of paper, Jim Johnson’s local talent garnered national awards. And the agency won regional accounts, making it the largest advertising, marketing, and public relations firm in the Mid-South. But the fame of accolades and size never blinded the company’s commitment to its client’s goals. Jim routinely sent clients self-spun cards and cartoons, letting them know the agency only existed through each client’s success.

Jim’s mentorship shaped so many of us who worked with him. He encouraged me to take up running. So, I did! We often ran at lunch sharing ideas and jokes. Jokes mainly. Jim made working fun. Jim and Wayne together made it rewarding.

When I was much younger, I thought “Cranford Johnson” was one person: first name Cranford, last name Johnson. You rarely said one without the other and you scarcely spoke the word Jim without coupling Jim and Kathy. Another exquisite pairing, to be sure.

Trust and respect make a true partnership. Cranford Johnson had it. And I felt a partnership with Jim. Void of incorporation but filled with affection.

When a light burns brightly it draws you in. Jim had that magnetic brilliance. In space, light never dissipates, it continues infinitum. The light of Jim Johnson will long be remembered and will continue to burn here and hereafter.

Craig Douglass served as vice president and director of client services for Cranford Johnson from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. He is currently executive director of the Regional Recycling District.