Jay Cranford

Jay is responsible for making sure CJRW’s creative product, across all media channels, effectively connects and has an impact with any given target audience.  He attended the University of Pennsylvania and later graduated magna cum laude from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville with a degree in economics.  Jay immediately began his advertising career in Los Angeles, working on the Toyota account at Saatchi & Saatchi. He then spent nine years with TBWA/Chiat/Day where he crafted campaigns for some of America’s best-known brands like Sony Playstation, Energizer Batteries, Nissan, Reebok, Jack in the Box, ABC Television, and Quaker State Motor Oil.

His work has appeared in such prestigious shows as the Cannes International Advertising Festival, the One Show, the London International Awards, the Obies Outdoor Awards, the Radio Mercury Awards, Creativity magazine’s Advertising Annual, Archive, the 4A’s O’Toole Awards, and the national ADDY Awards competition.  

A member of the exclusive Advertising Age Insights Panel, Jay was awarded "Advertising Person of the Year" in 2002 by the Arkansas Advertising Federation in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the profession of advertising.  He was also honored by Arkansas Business as a member of its distinguished "40 Under 40" list, and he was selected for the "25 for the Future" list in the publication's 25th anniversary issue.

Jay’s non-profit involvement has led him to important work with the Arkansas Arts Center, the United Way, the Arkansas Nature Conservancy, and the Little Rock Zoo.