ahmed tilly

Ahmed Tilly grew up in Polokwane, studied in Jozi, lived in Cape Town and considers Johannesburg as home. Tilly worked as a sales assistant, switchboard operator, PA announcer, supermarket cashier, confectionary and shoe salesman before entering the communications industry.

He started his career in advertising at Lindsay Smithers FCB in 1996, moved to Publicis for a couple of years before relocating to Cape Town to get into The Jupiter Drawing Room. He also did a stint with TBWA. In 2005, Tilly moved back to Johannesburg to start Black River FC.

Tilly has been elected as a member of the Creative Circle EXCO for several consecutive years, judged the Loeries Awards for close to a decade and judged the Cannes Lion Awards in 2015. He’s been nominated for the past 3 years as “Most Admired in Jozi” by his peers, which he thinks is pretty cool.

Thanks to the work he has had a hand in, he is unwelcomed in India, Zimbabwe, parts of South Africa and China. His creative philosophy; “If it’s not worth remarking about, it’s not worth doing”.

His greatest achievement at Black River FC has been to create award-winning work without once doing a scam ad.