A senior creative’s departure from a global marketing and advertising agency reflects a growing industry reality — that scale no longer guarantees creative excellence, as independents enable faster, bolder decisions.
As of this month, Fran Luckin has stepped down as chief creative officer at VML to join Boundless as co-chief creative officer, bringing more than two decades of creative leadership to the independent South African agency.
Luckin describes her time at VML positively, particularly the benefits of scale and global reach, but notes that the global network model also brings significant bureaucracy, margin pressure and efficiency-driven constraints on creativity. “When I started in advertising, not a lot of the big agencies were majority-owned by the global networks; so they still had quite a bit of freedom to make their own decisions. Now, you can’t buy a printer without getting permission from New York,” she says.
Luckin argues that the industry’s core issue is not a lack of creativity but a lack of bravery, saying too many strong ideas are lost to process and that brands often underestimate the impact of bold creative work when it’s properly backed.
Ultimately, she says, these constraints made her move to an independent agency appealing, giving her the opportunity to return to more hands-on creative work and help build something from the ground up. “Independent agencies tend to be closer to the work, closer to the culture and closer to the clients who actually want to make something interesting. Less politics. More ideas. It’s amazing how effective that can be,” she says.
Co-chief creative officer at Boundless Roanna Williams says working in a smaller, independent agency removes layers of approval and allows for a stronger collective belief in bold creative work. “If you’re not doing bold work, you’re not going to make a difference in the world, and you’re not going to sell your product long term,” she said.
South Africa’s cultural, creative and sports industries contributed an estimated R271.2bn to GDP in 2023, accounting for about 3.9% of total GDP, according to the South African Cultural Observatory
“It’s about putting ideas out into the world that are relevant, that have an impact but are also commercially viable.”
She says that in today’s saturated media environment, work must be distinctive enough to break through, creating ideas that make audiences stop and respond.
Luckin explains that South Africa’s advertising industry is undergoing a broader shift toward independent agencies, citing an upsurge in independents such as Banana, We Are Bizarre, and Halo.
According to research firm Imarc, the broader South African advertising market was valued at just over $3bn (R49bn) in 2024 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.04% between 2025 and 2033, reaching about $4.34bn, driven by digital transformation and changing consumer behaviour.
Noting that larger agencies are increasingly constricting, she says this is creating strong growth opportunities for independent agencies in South Africa, and that the shift reflects broader structural changes within the country’s wider creative economy.
South Africa’s cultural, creative and sports industries contributed an estimated R271.2bn to GDP in 2023, accounting for about 3.9% of total GDP, according to the South African Cultural Observatory.
Against this backdrop, the positioning of talent and creativity in the economy is becoming increasingly significant. With digital projected to account for 74% of ad spend by 2029, according to PwC’s Africa Entertainment and Media Outlook 2025–2029, the industry is undergoing rapid structural change in how value is created and distributed.
Globally, PwC projects that advertising revenues will continue to outpace other parts of the media industry, creating a projected $300bn difference by 2029.
A priority both Luckin and Williams see as crucial to the development of the advertising industry at large is building inclusivity and accelerating the development of young talent
Building on this digital shift, both creatives say artificial intelligence (AI) is already reshaping how work is made and how ideas are developed within the industry.
Williams says AI is likely to make the industry more creative by speeding up production and enabling faster exploration of ideas. However, he warns it can also lead to sameness if overused, stressing that creatives must remain actively engaged rather than becoming passive users.
She adds that AI is fuelling a renewed appreciation for handmade and human-led work, with growing “demand for the hand-drawn” in campaigns and luxury branding, suggesting that organic, hands-on creativity will remain central to the industry.
Luckin says although AI use across industries is becoming increasingly inevitable, the advertising industry still has agency in how it is applied. She says agencies have a “moral responsibility” to ensure AI enhances rather than replaces creativity.
A priority both Luckin and Williams see as crucial to the development of the advertising industry at large is building inclusivity and accelerating the development of young talent. Both are directors of Open Chair, a mentorship initiative supporting younger women in advertising as they progress into leadership roles.
The programme aims to address an industry they say has historically moved too slowly on gender representation, while providing hands-on guidance and support from senior creatives.
Williams describes developing young talent as one of the most rewarding things about their work.
For Luckin and Williams, the shift toward independent agencies reflects a broader industry reassessment of the conditions required to produce work that is both commercially effective and creatively strong.
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