IDIDTHAT JUDGE
FRAN LUCKIN

Fran Luckin is Chief Creative Officer of VML South Africa. In her previous position at Grey South Africa, she worked with the leadership team to take the agency from nowhere on the South African Creative Rankings to third place in 2022. It was also ranked #1 Medium Sized Agency at the Africa/Middle East Loerie Awards.

She is an Exco member of South Africa’s Creative Circle, was voted Woman of the Year 2019 in the MarkLives Agency Leaders Poll, and Adfocus Industry Leader of the Year in 2022. She has judged international and South African creative awards shows (including D&AD, the Clio Awards, The One Show, and four tours of duty judging the Cannes Lions) – and has also served three times on the judging panel for the Apex and Effie Awards.

In 2017 she served as Jury President of the Print and Publishing Jury at the Cannes Lions – the first female Jury President from Africa.
She was Chairman of the Africa/Middle East Loerie Awards Committee in 2020/2021.
She is also passionate about lifelong learning: she has an M.B.A from the Berlin School of Creative Leadership, and has served 3 years as Chairman of the Academic Board of the Red & Yellow School.

She is a founder member of Open Chair, a mentorship programme for younger women to help them rise into the chairs of top management.
In her personal time she plays the bass guitar, but not very well.

I DID THAT CRAFT AWARDS
Judge’s Pick – Fran Luckin

JUDGES COMMENT ON DIRECTION
“This is so deftly handled. The way it plays into the well-worn tropes of the “USA for Africa” / “Band Aid” anthems of the mid-eighties. “Couldn’t this set-up be a little less self-congratulatory?” you think, before suddenly realizing that that is the whole point. It’s all there… the celebs glowing with virtue, air-kissing and hugging while trying to subtly outdo each other at the mike… the ‘robes on a mountaintop’ homage to ‘I’d Like To Buy The World A Coke’… the well-timed cuts from a warm, saffron-glowing South Africa to the desaturated world of abject-looking Americans (superbly cast), waiting for Chicken Licken from Africa to be their salvation. The movie doubles down with a very subtle (but unmissable) cut to a “food handout” scene and then that bit where the heavens open with blessed rain from above as the villagers rejoice.. oh wait, that’s a fire hose.
There really couldn’t be a better time for this message from us to America and the director has played it out beautifully.
How my dark little heart did cackle.”

AWARDED
05 February 2026

I DID THAT CRAFT AWARDS
Judge’s Pick – Fran Luckin

JUDGES COMMENT ON CINEMATOGRAPHY
“I love how cinematography has been used to tell the story. The warm, rich, saturated world of South Africa in contrast with the cool desaturated frames for America.  But within that every frame is equally beautifully composed. There’s also something full and glossy about the faces in the South African scenes, compared to the pinched pale faces of the Americans (yeah, even the fat guy).
(This latter point is probably a thing about lensing, but alas, I am a humble copywriter and don’t know the right words for it and don’t want to sound like a poephol. I’ll see myself out.)”

AWARDED
05 February 2026

I DID THAT CRAFT AWARDS
Judge’s Pick – Fran Luckin

JUDGES COMMENT ON ONLINE VFX
“I’m not a VFX expert (see “poephol”, above) but I’m going to come at this as the person being entertained and say I like that I knew I was in a fantasy world and yet I believed what my eyes were seeing. The VFX is essential to the story, which I love. By bringing the kids’ inner worlds to life so vividly in gaming imagery, it added grandeur and drama to the story, particularly in the climax of the race. As a side note, I did notice the colour splitting in a lot of the scenes and when I looked it up (because I didn’t know what it was called) I discovered it’s often used in game design to make the graphics of the game less clinical and clean. Assuming it was a deliberate choice to help visually bridge the worlds between the fantasy and the everyday, that’s a nice subtle touch.”

AWARDED
05 February 2026

I DID THAT CRAFT AWARDS
Judge’s Pick – Fran Luckin

JUDGES COMMENT ON MUSIC SUPERVISION & ORIGINAL MUSIC:
“I loved how the music captured longing and hope, and felt like it was native to the place the film came from. It was wistful but also profoundly uplifting. There were a whole lot of predictable music choices available here, no doubt. I like that they were resisted.”

AWARDED
05 February 2026

2025 SA CANNES PREDICTIONS
Judge’s Pick – Fran Luckin

JUDGES COMMENT
“Probably the freshest piece of TV to come out of this country in 2025. The attention to detail makes it infinitely rewatchable, which will stand it in good stead as it goes through the rounds of judging.”

AWARDED
29 May 2025

2025 SA CANNES PREDICTIONS
Judge’s Pick – Fran Luckin

JUDGES COMMENT
“Looking at this as an overall idea, I think the cause will appeal to the judges and the crafting of the pieces (particularly the film) is meticulous.”

AWARDED
29 May 2025

2025 SA CANNES PREDICTIONS
Judge’s Pick – Fran Luckin

JUDGES COMMENT
“Again, I think the cause will appeal and the results are good.”

AWARDED
29 May 2025

2025 SA CANNES PREDICTIONS
Judge’s Pick – Fran Luckin

JUDGES COMMENT
“A great example of a strong brand-agency partnership moving beyond marketing communication into real world programmes that make a difference. I love the idea and I hope this wins so that it encourages more brands to do the same.”

AWARDED
29 May 2025

2025 SA CANNES PREDICTIONS
Judge’s Pick – Fran Luckin

JUDGES COMMENT
“Superb writing. Every detail sweated. Funny, memorable, bold and (again, crucially) infinitely re-listenable-to (yes that’s a word now. I made it one).”

AWARDED
29 May 2025