CLIFF T.

KEAST
685 Charlesina Drive, Rochester, MI 48306
Home: 248-652-4236 * Mobile: 248-877-7688
LinkedIn Profile * www.cliffkeast.com
Creative Director
Uniquely talented and award-winning advertising and marketing professional with
extensive success creating comprehensive advertising campaigns for television, r
adio, print, and Web. Expert at defining strategies for branding and rebranding,
turning around previously stagnant approaches with new, energized tactics that
result in significant revenue results. Focus on strong marketing principles. Han
ds-on creative director who participates in all aspects of concept through produ
ction as well as training and mentoring team members. Tireless, results oriented
team player.
Areas of Expertise
Creative Direction * Art Direction * Design * Multimedia Campaigns * Project Man
agement Copywriting * Branding and Brand Management * Web Design and Marketing *
Team Leadership * Presentations * Point of Purchase * 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
Regional Creative Director on Ford and Lincoln Mercury business, primarily focus
ing on Southeast Lincoln Mercury Dealer Association tactical business and nation
al retail advertising. Conceived and designed creative concepts and finished wor
k with multimillion-dollar budgets for national and regional clients. Supervised
photo shoots and television productions. Presented creative concepts and finish
ed projects to clients. Created materials for national events and promotions on
television, radio, print, internet, and e-mail. Initiated creation of computer-g
enerated images (CGI) of all Lincoln and Mercury vehicles to be used for adverti
sing 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 Mercur
y Division.
* Ensured strong branding with initiation of Mercury Brand guidelines to standar
dize tone of voice, target market, color palette, imagery style, and font usage,
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 mat
erials for the Lincoln MKS and MKT models, sparking positive consumer reaction a
nd 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.
* After securing local school district as client, netted them more than $1 milli
on in state funding by attracting significant students to the district with comp
rehensive television, radio, and print advertising campaign
* Generated $500,000 in new revenue for agency through partnership with Volvo "T
hink Tank" on creation of a "Volvo Eco Tour" concept which inspired new ways to
market the brand's core values.

CLIFF T. KEAST _ Page Two

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 ma
rket and brand characteristics of new vehicles, becoming road map for future mar
keting.
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
* Reenergized brands and achieved 30% sales increase with significant reduction
in on-hand inventory for dealers through infusion of youth-focused marketing cam
paigns for the seemingly aging Buick brands.
* Transformed and re-branded Detroit Edison into DTE Energy with creation of "E=
DTE" integrated campaign, repositioning the local utility as a major national en
ergy supplier.
* Created advertising for GMC during 1998 Winter Olympics, "Perfect 10," which b
ecame multi-award-winning commercial chosen as one of AdWeek Magazine's best spo
ts.
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. Presented to dealer groups to increase client database.
Selected Achievements
* Increased billings to $180 million by securing a majority of the country's GMC
groups as clients, enabling consistent retail messaging across regions and esta
blishing 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,

Michigan
Education
B.F.A. Program, Advertising Design / Art Direction, College for Creative Studie
s, Detroit, 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
Juror: New York Festivals Advertising Awards, Scarab Club of Detroit Exhibition