5 Minutes With... Fran Luckin
With VML South Africa now strategically-repositioning itself as a new boutique agency, made up of Grey South Africa and The Hardy Boys, Fran Luckin – the agency’s newly-appointed chief creative officer – sheds light on the key factors driving the decision.
She sat down with LBB’s Olivia Atkins to chat about how combining the strengths of both agencies will create a powerhouse that balances creative excellence with a personal touch and how the merger will set the stage for further growth across South Africa.
LBB> What were the key factors that led to the decision to merge The Hardy Boys and Grey South Africa into a single boutique agency?
Fran> Globally, Grey is shifting to focus on just ten key markets of which South Africa isn’t one. Because of that, the decision was taken to move Grey under VML to manage. As we took this on board, we realised that our existing boutique agency, The Hardy Boys, had a very similar outlook, positioning and philosophy to Grey.
So, it made sense to join these two together under the name THB and move forward with it as a creative powerhouse mid-sized agency. The fact that THB has been primarily Durban-based also means this move lets them go national, with a significant team now in Joburg.
LBB> How does the newly-formed Hardy Boys South Africa plan to differentiate itself in the market, given the combined expertise of the two original agencies?
Fran> There are two defining features of this new agency: the boutique experience and secondly, creative excellence. Both THB and Grey have become famous for doing award-winning creative work across various disciplines, including breakthrough brand and packaging design, and social. As just one example, Grey put Savanna at the top of the global cider ranking table. Both agencies have the track record and talent to outperform creatively and that is our hope and ambition.
LBB> With Tlali Taoana stepping down as CEO and president of Grey South Africa, what are the leadership plans for The Hardy Boys South Africa moving forward?
Fran> We’ve established a strong leadership team for the business, combining the strongest leaders from both legacy agencies. We’re also due to appoint a new managing director to look after this new business in the next couple of months. For the time being, our group managing directors Danelle Stiles and Michael Oelschig will be personally overseeing the organisation.
LBB> You've been CCO at Grey South Africa for over eight years, how do you plan on applying and evolving your experience to ensure this merger is successful?
Fran> Writer Will Durant said “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” Everywhere I’ve worked, I’ve established regular rituals and practices that work together to build a creative culture that is united, collaborative, supportive and brave. And the great work follows.
LBB> How will the merger impact the existing client relationships and creative strategies that both The Hardy Boys and Grey South Africa have developed over the years?
Fran> Throughout this year our focus has been on minimising disruption and keeping the right teams on the clients – teams that the clients know and love. This is precisely how this will be approached too – continuity combined with strengthening teams with new people from the other agency who can uplift the work.
LBB> As The Hardy Boys celebrates its 30th anniversary, how does the agency plan to honour its legacy while embracing the new opportunities presented by this merger?
Fran> Yes, The Hardy Boys has been around for 30 years this month – and we believe there’s no better way to celebrate that than to expand and grow through this joining of forces. The focus on creative excellence and personal attention to clients will remain and grow, and the heritage we’ve inherited from the founders of both THB and Grey will be nurtured and protected. There’s work to do in defining a new shared vision and aspiration but we have a group of wonderfully talented people and an awesome list of clients on which to realise it.
