CLIFF T.

KEAST

Creative Director
Uniquely talented and multi award-winning advertising and marketing visionary wi
th extensive success creating comprehensive advertising campaigns for television
, radio, print, and web. Expert at defining strategies for branding and re-brand
ing, turning around previously stagnant approaches with new, energized tactics t
hat result in significant revenue results. Skilled at positioning and nurturing
brands. Accomplished in developing highly creative executions of marketing strat
egies. Recognized for superior creativity and productivity. Tireless, results or
iented, hands-on team player.
Areas of Ex
pertise
Creative Direction Art Direction Design Multimedia Campaigns Project Manageme
nt Copywriting Branding and Brand Management Web Design Team Leadership Pre
sentations
Point of Purchase Product Marketing Strategic Development

Professional Experience
Y&R / TEAM DETROIT, Dearborn, MI 2004 2010
Joint venture of WPP producing 360-degree global advertising for clients with 1,
000 employees and multi-million dollar billings.
Vice President / Associate Creative Director
Creative Director on Ford and Lincoln Mercury business. Conceived and designed c
reative concepts and finished work with multimillion-dollar budgets for national
and regional clients. Supervised photo shoots and television productions. Prese
nted creative concepts and finished projects to clients. Created materials for n
ational events and promotions on television, radio, print, internet, and e-mail.
Initiated creation of computer-generated images (CGI) of all Lincoln and Mercur
y vehicles to be used for advertising throughout all media.
Selected Achievements
* Achieved year-to-year sales growth with massive re-branding campaign that intr
oduced actress Jill Wagner as the voice, and face, of Ford Motor Company Mercury
Division.
* Took full responsibility for the initiation of Mercury Brand guidelines to sta
ndardize tone of voice, target market, color palette, imagery style, and font us
age, increasing awareness and understanding of brand.
* Initiated 8am.com to showcase daily specials customized by individual Lincoln
Mercury dealers. Concept transitioned into dealer group Micro-sites, reaching mo
re customers while reducing costs.
* Drove creation of new, competitive, breakthrough point-of-sale marketing mater
ials for the Lincoln MKS and MKT models, sparking positive consumer reaction and
projected sales growth.

FUSION DESIGN, Birmingham, MI 2001 2004

Boutique agency specializing in branding, producing advertising, branding, promo
tions, and PR for global clients, with 25 employees.
Vice President / Creative Director
Supervised team of 15 and $10+ million budget, directing creative concept develo
pment and production. Interacted daily with clients to create brand strategies a
nd present concepts and completed projects. Managed photo shoots and television
productions. Spearheaded business development efforts, winning numerous accounts
 and projects. Developed in-house digital team to provide Web-based marketing so
lutions for clients.
Selected Achievements
* Secured $300,000 project with Ford Motor Company during transition from design
-based to full-service approach, positioning new hybrid model for immediate succ
ess.
* Instrumental in obtaining Carhartt account, increasing agency billings $750,00
0 and adding 20% sales boost to Carhartt with creation of their first television
campaign.
Won local school district as client, and netted them more than $1 million in st
ate funding by attracting significant students to the district with comprehensiv
e television, radio, and print advertising campaign
Generated $500,000 in new revenue for agency through partnership with Volvo Thi
nk Tank" on creation of a Volvo Eco Tour concept which inspired new ways to mark
et the Volvo brands core values.

Y&R GROUP, Dearborn, MI 1999 2001

Advertising agency producing 360-degree global advertising with 300 employees at
location, dedicated to Lincoln Mercury advertising account.
Vice President / Associate Creative Director
Directed tactical creative development and production of Tri-State Lincoln Mercu
ry Dealer Association business across New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC
, with multimillion-dollar budget and team of six. Conceived, designed, and pres
ented creative concepts and completed projects to Ford marketing and sales manag
ers, as well as Dealer Association board members. Created names and designed log
os for advertising events in print, television, radio, and online initiatives. S
upervised national television and photography productions.
Selected Achievements
* Co-authored and produced Lincoln 80th Anniversary film, shown worldwide to For
d employees celebrating 80 years of history and accomplishments of the Lincoln D
ivision.
* Conceived and directed production of custom regional television and print camp
aigns that strongly impacted sales initiatives for individual Lincoln Mercury de
aler groups.
* Created and produced Future Products film for Lincoln that defined target mark
et and brand characteristics of new vehicles, becoming road map for future marke
ting.

McCANN ERICKSON, Troy, MI 1996 1999

Agency producing 360-degree global advertising through 200 employees at the Troy
office.
Vice President / Associate Creative Director
Co-Creative Director on Buick Riviera, Park Avenue, and Century brands with team
of six direct reports, collaborating with up to six teams as needed using multi
million-dollar budgets. Client contact with national advertising and brand manag
ers to develop brand strategies and present creative concepts. Supervised photo
shoots and television productions across the U.S. and Canada. Partnered with Exe
cutive Creative Director to develop new ideas for existing clients and concepts
for new business creative pitches.
Selected Achievements
* Re-energized brands and achieved 30% sales increase with significant reduction
in on-hand inventory for dealers through infusion of youth-focused marketing ca
mpaigns for the seemingly aging Buick brands.
* Transformed and re-branded Detroit Edison into DTE Energy with creation of E=D
TE integrated campaign, repositioning the local utility as a major national ener
gy supplier.
* Created advertising for GMC during 1998 Winter Olympics, Perfect 10, which bec
ame multi-award-winning commercial chosen as one of AdWeek Magazines best spots.

McCANN ERICKSON / SAS, Troy, MI 1994 1996

Advertising agency and division dedicated to GMC truck brand with 100 nationwide
employees and $40 million in annual billings.
Associate Creative Director
After initially working on GMC brand, was asked to start division to service GMC
dealers. Hired and managed 26 creative and broadcast production professionals s
erving more than 50 dealer advertising associations and GMC national advertising
. Directed creative concept development and production with budget exceeding $20
million.
Selected Achievements
* Increased billings to $180 million by securing a majority of the countrys GMC
groups as clients, enabling consistent retail messaging across regions and estab
lishing a benchmark for strategic branding.
* Initiated brand and identity standards for GMC truck that continue today as he
art and soul of brand.
* Established quarterly library of television, print, and promotional creative f
or dealers to use and individualize, which led to quarterly national creative ex
ecutions and dramatic sales results.
* Effectively reduced inventory days supply from 75 to 30 for Minneapolis region
al GMC dealers with fully integrated campaign for last week of calendar year, br
inging in more than 2,500 customers to dealerships.

Additional Experience: Vice President / Art Supervisor, DMB&B, Bloomfield Hills,

MI

Awards and Recognition

Major creative awards including Addy, Desi, Mobius, Ad Week Best Spots, Caddy an
d Gold Caddy, New York Festivals, Five DANDYS including Best of Show, Creativity
32, 3 EFFIES, Kelly, Partnership for the Humanities/Rosa Parks Foundation

Education
B.F.A. Program, Advertising Design / Art Direction, College for Creative Studies
, Detroit, MI Ongoing