%20(1).png)
The Lead Creative
The Lead Creative podcast hosts a series of conversations with great minds behind some of the leading brands, businesses, organisations and top ideas that we all love. From advertising thought leaders, forward-thinking brand leaders, innovative digital marketing minds to content creators - the podcast gives into what makes the world engage with some of the top brands. Founded and hosted by Mongezi Mtati, the podcast shares analysis, trends, and strategic intelligence.
The Lead Creative
Most Advertising Is Afraid to Succeed: Chasing Trends Hurts Brands
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Advertising faces a growing challenge: too much work is created to avoid failure rather than pursue meaningful success. In this episode, creative consultant and Number 10 founder Ahmed Tilly breaks down why this mindset persists and how brands can move beyond it.
Ahmed’s work includes Nando’s campaigns across 14 countries and the launches of Virgin Money, 1LifeDirect and Mazda. As Effie Awards South Africa Co-Chair (2024 & 2025) and Loeries Jury President, he offers clear insight into what makes work effective.
Midway through our conversation, he recalled an insight he shared two years ago: trends are diluting creativity.
“Trends are the opposite of creativity. If you’re not different, you’re dead.”
Conversation highlights
- True creativity requires resisting trends, not chasing them
- Distinctiveness drives real effectiveness
- Trend-chasing weakens creativity
- Effies work requires rigour and originality
- Many marketing issues are rooted in strategy
Thank you to the Effie Awards South Africa team and Soweto Media.
___________________________
Buy us coffee here to help us grow.
___________________________
The Lead Creative Podcast is available on:
Follow us on:
___________________________
Follow us for more on:
Make a donation to Threads for Ikasi, a foundation that provides school uniforms, dignity packs and other essentials to children in townships, rural areas and under-resourced communities.
To support them, go to: https://threadsforikasi.org
Buy us coffee here to help us grow.
Follow us for more on:
