Hope&Glory co-founder James Gordon-Macintosh on Nils Leonardgate

On this PRmoment podcast today we're chatting about the Nils Leonardgate.

Is comparing earned media creativity and paid media creativity pointless?

I normally have this debate internally in my own head when I watch the annual PR/ad creative bun fight at Cannes but it's come a bit early this year following Uncommon founder Nils Leonard's latest activation of his "let's start a fight' strategy where he says: "The PR industry should be scared, not just of Uncommon but in general."

We’ll also discuss to what extent paid media creative and earned media creatives are similar, and to what extent are they different. Can they ever be compared with much validity?

To talk about all this stuff welcome Hope & Glory co-founder James Gordon Macintosh.

Before we start the final entry deadline to The Creative Moment Awards is on Friday 19th June 2026.

Key Themes

1. Ad Land’s Cyclical "Discovery"

Gordon-Macintosh believes that this is not a paradigm shift, but rather a predictable, cyclical reaction to macroeconomic pressures. Whenever paid media budgets shrink due to client belt-tightening or shifting algorithms, advertising shops look to colonise PR space to protect their revenue lines. Every decade, advertising "discovers" a discipline PR has been practicing for years—whether it's social media, creator marketing, or culture marketing—and rebrands it as something entirely new.

2. Bought vs. Earned Creative Architecture

The structural divergence between advertising creativity and PR creativity forms a central pillar of the debate. Advertising is hardwired for absolute control—agencies write a script, buy the slot, and force eyeballs onto the screen. PR, conversely, requires navigating a chaotic, reactive ecosystem of third-party validation, shifting editorial gatekeepers, and genuine cultural conversations where control is surrendered in exchange for authenticity.

3. The "Infinite Monkey Cage" of Ad-Led PR

While acknowledging Uncommon’s brilliant output (such as Rat Boot and PAIN), Gordon-Macintosh draws a line between flashy stunts and sustainable communication strategy.

Quotes from James Gordon Macintosh:
"Every decade, I'd say advertising discovers something PR has frankly been doing for years, and they try to give it a new name."

"Advertising is about buying your way into the media space—you buy the eyeballs. PR genuinely has to engage with what people are actually talking about."

"If you take an infinite number of monkeys and give them an infinite number of typewriters... mathematically one will eventually write Hamlet. In ad agencies, an earned idea is all too often luck, not skill."