Creativity: be brave, not stupid episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 19, 2026 · 45 MIN

Creativity: be brave, not stupid

from Beyond the Noise - the PRWeek podcast

Creative bravery is the topic of PRWeek’s latest podcast.Joining PRWeek UK editor John Harrington this week are Ahalya Moxon, associate creative director at FleishmanHillard, and Shilpa Saul, partner at The Unmistakables.Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.The idea for this week’s episode was sparked by comments from Nicola Green, Virgin Media O2’s chief communications and corporate affairs officer, at PRWeek’s Year Ahead Conference in January. Green said her brand’s “biggest fear is becoming undiscoverable”, meaning she’s keen to take “considered risks” that are “brave but not stupid”.Our podcast guests examine some recent and historic campaigns that have arguably crossed the line from ‘brave’ into ‘stupid’ and analyse why they fell down.They look at how campaigns can find that balance to be provocative enough to be remembered without drawing damaging criticism.The duo discuss whether there are times when ‘playing it safe’ is the best approach; whether there are generational differences regarding creativity; and stress the importance of having diverse perspectives when creating campaigns. Saul also argues that people are “losing the art of critical thinking”.Finally, the guests look at how to respond if a campaign receives heavy criticism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Creative bravery is the topic of PRWeek’s latest podcast.Joining PRWeek UK editor John Harrington this week are Ahalya Moxon, associate creative director at FleishmanHillard, and Shilpa Saul, partner at The Unmistakables.Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.The idea for this week’s episode was sparked by comments from Nicola Green, Virgin Media O2’s chief communications and corporate affairs officer, at PRWeek’s Year Ahead Conference in January. Green said her brand’s “biggest fear is becoming undiscoverable”, meaning she’s keen to take “considered risks” that are “brave but not stupid”.Our podcast guests examine some recent and historic campaigns that have arguably crossed the line from ‘brave’ into ‘stupid’ and analyse why they fell down.They look at how campaigns can find that balance to be provocative enough to be remembered without drawing damaging criticism.The duo discuss whether there are times when ‘playing it safe’ is the best approach; whether there are generational differences regarding creativity; and stress the importance of having diverse perspectives when creating campaigns. Saul also argues that people are “losing the art of critical thinking”.Finally, the guests look at how to respond if a campaign receives heavy criticism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NOW PLAYING

Creativity: be brave, not stupid

0:00 45:00

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Beyond the Noise - the PRWeek podcast?

This episode is 45 minutes long.

When was this Beyond the Noise - the PRWeek podcast episode published?

This episode was published on March 19, 2026.

What is this episode about?

Creative bravery is the topic of PRWeek’s latest podcast.Joining PRWeek UK editor John Harrington this week are Ahalya Moxon, associate creative director at FleishmanHillard, and Shilpa Saul, partner at The Unmistakables.Beyond the Noise looks at...

Can I download this Beyond the Noise - the PRWeek podcast episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!