PRESS RELEASE: Manchester Jeweller Lands Starring Role in Award-Winning Experian TV Campaign
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Didsbury-based bespoke jeweller Abdulla 'Bud' Mulki almost didn't send his self-tape. Six days later, he was on an international film set in Bulgaria.
Abdulla 'Bud' Mulki, founder of independent bespoke jewellery studio Si Vis Amari, has appeared in Experian's major new "Better Your Story" TV campaign after an unlikely chain of events that began with his daughter landing a role in the commercial first.
The production team then asked the families to send in photos of the dads. They liked the photos of Mulki and requested an improv self-tape.
"I nearly didn't bother," says Mulki. "I'm a jeweller, not an actor, and I was busy with work. But I didn't want to spoil it for my daughter, so I sent one in. They loved it, and the next thing I knew I was on a plane to Bulgaria."
What followed was a six-day shoot on a purpose-built set that took months to construct. The campaign, created by BBH London, reimagines the classic nursery rhyme "There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe." It was directed by award-winning commercial director Tom Noakes through production company Business Club, with cinematography by James L Brown, who had recently wrapped a Netflix series in Colombia. Mulki was put up in five-star accommodation at the Hilton with all expenses paid.
During filming, Noakes asked Mulki if it was his first gig. When Mulki confirmed it was, the director told him he was a natural and should pursue more work. The production team nicknamed him "King Bud" and referred to him and his daughter as "the Dream Team" for their chemistry on set.
The commercial has since been named Ad of the Day by The Drum and one of the Clio Awards' 5 Ads of the Week. It is now running across TV, cinema, VOD, out-of-home, radio, digital and social channels nationwide, with media handled by PHD.
"The whole experience was surreal," says Mulki. "One minute I'm at my bench in Didsbury designing engagement rings, the next I'm on an international film set being directed by someone who has worked with some of the biggest brands in the world."
Taking the director's advice to heart, Mulki has since been signed by Manchester talent agency The Drama Mob, whose roster includes Owen Cooper, the English actor who gained international recognition for his debut role in the hit Netflix miniseries Adolescence (2025).
But jewellery remains his focus. Mulki continues to run Si Vis Amari from two studios in Manchester: a flagship in Didsbury Village and a second in the city centre. He designs bespoke engagement and wedding rings using 3D sculpting software originally developed for the animation industry, a technique that sets the company's designs apart.
Every ring is designed personally and manufactured in the UK. Working with 18ct white gold, yellow gold, rose gold and platinum, Mulki specialises in both GIA-certified natural diamonds and IGI/GIA-certified lab-grown diamonds, as well as coloured gemstones including emeralds, sapphires and rubies. His 18ct white gold uses a high palladium content, meaning it stays white permanently without the need for rhodium replating.
Much of Mulki's work is story-led. Clients come to him with a proposal location, a shared memory, a family detail, and the ring is designed around it. No two pieces are the same. Si Vis Amari operates strictly by appointment, offering a consultative experience rather than an off-the-shelf service.
"The advert was a wonderful and unexpected chapter," says Mulki. "But my passion remains in the studio, creating meaningful pieces of jewellery for my clients."
Si Vis Amari is a member of the National Association of Jewellers (No. 53194) and has created bespoke pieces for notable figures in the UK.
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