Jim Riswold

James Paul Riswold (December 7, 1957 – August 9, 2024) was an American creative director for the advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy and a contemporary artist.

Early life

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Riswold was born in Seattle, Washington, on December 7, 1957, to Paul (died 2017) and Paularose (nee James) Riswold.[1][2][3][4] He grew up in Seattle with his parents where his father worked for Boeing, along with his two younger sisters, Marilee and Sheila.[2][4] After graduation from Ingraham High School, Riswold attended the University of Washington in Seattle from 1976 to 1983. There he received three bachelor's degrees in communications, philosophy and history.[5]

Career

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After graduating from college, he worked briefly for an advertising company in Seattle.[4] He was hired at Wieden+Kennedy in Portland, Oregon, during the ad agency's early years as its first copywriter hire in 1984, supervising the Honda Motor Co. account.[6] In his 14 years at Wieden+Kennedy, he created advertising campaigns such as the Mars Blackmon (Spike Lee), Michael Jordan commercials for Nike as well as the famous Bugs Bunny–Jordan pairing.[7] He also created the "Bo Knows" campaign for Nike featuring Bo Jackson,[8][9] and the Tiger Woods commercial, entitled "I Am Tiger Woods".[10]

In 2013, Riswold was inducted into The One Club's Creative Hall of Fame.[11][12]

Art

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After being diagnosed with leukemia in 2000 and surviving for five years, Riswold quit advertising to become a full-time contemporary artist.[13] He went from "a career of selling people things they don't need to making things that people don't want".[14]

Riswold's photographs have been shown in galleries throughout the Northwest and hang in the permanent collections of several museums.[15] Most of his works poke fun at historically taboo figures such as Mao Zedong, Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini by constructing monumental setting in which the figurines were photographer. Riswold explained in his 2005 Esquire article, "Hitler Saved My Life"[16] that "Instead of providing […] grand expositions mythologizing the dictator, toys, by definition, make their subjects seem small, childish, and trifling."[17]

Death

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Riswold died August 9, 2024 at the age of 66, at his home in Portland, from interstitial lung disease.[1][3]

References

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  1. ^ a b Rosenwald, Michael S. (September 4, 2024). "Jim Riswold, Creator of 'Bo Knows' and Air Jordan Ads, Dies at 66". The New York Times. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Paul Ordell Riswold". Dignity Memorial. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  3. ^ a b Weissbrot, Alison (August 12, 2024). "Jim Riswold dies at 67". CampaignLive.com. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Goldrich, Robert (August 13, 2024). "Jim Riswold, W+K's Stalwart Writer On Breakthrough Nike Work, Dies At 66". SHOOTonline. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  5. ^ Riswold, Jim (Autumn 2001). "So What Good Is Studying Philosophy: You Want To Be A What?". University of Washington Philosophy Department. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved September 22, 2009. Jim Riswold. UW (University of Washington) 1976–1983. Majored in Communications, Philosophy, and History
  6. ^ Rothenberg, Randall (January 30, 2006). "Riswold goes from 'idiot savant' to reinventor to retired artist". Advertising Age. Riswold, 48, has been creating art for years-at least since the day in late 1984 when he walked into a presentation for the Honda scooters advertising account
  7. ^ Riswold, Jim (June 18, 2020). "Meet the Man Who Introduced Michael Jordan to Bugs Bunny". Complex.com (Interview). Interviewed by Mike DeStefano. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  8. ^ Eisenberg, Jeff (July 17, 2019). "Iconic Sports Commercials: Bo Knows". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  9. ^ Wollenberg, Skip (July 30, 1990). "In latest ad, Nike knows the more Bo, the better". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  10. ^ Broadbent, Rick (April 5, 2024). "Tiger Woods, Nike and the deal that changed sport for ever". The Times. Archived from the original on June 7, 2024. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  11. ^ "Jim Riswold, Inducted: 2013". The One Club. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  12. ^ "Advertising Legends Steve Hayden, Martin Puris, Jim Riswold & John Webster to Be Inducted in The One Club Creative Hall of Fame" (Press release). Marketwired. November 14, 2012. Retrieved July 31, 2024 – via Yahoo! Finance.
  13. ^ Dundas, Zach (September 21, 2005). "Jim Riswold: Nike ad designer finds success, gets leukemia, turns to Hitler dolls. Huh?". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on January 30, 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2008. When Riswold, a onetime philosophy major whose iconic Nike ads made him an industry legend, was diagnosed with leukemia, he found solace in art.
  14. ^ Solman, Gregory (October 6, 2008). "Profile: Jim Riswold - Ex-Wieden CD celebrates the absurd". AdWeek. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
  15. ^ "Augen Gallery - Bio: Jim Riswold". Retrieved September 22, 2009. (see various entries under the headings "Solo Exhibitions", "Group Exhibitions" and "Selected Collections)
  16. ^ "Hitler Saved my Life - Esquire". Archived from the original on 2009-11-30.
  17. ^ Riswold, Jim (September 1, 2005). "Hitler Saved My Life". Esquire. Archived from the original on November 30, 2009. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
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