TFD win PRMoment’s inaugural UK PR League 2026: Winner Q&A

The UK PR industry’s first-ever PR League, hosted by PRMoment, brought together 20 teams of rising communications professionals from across the country to put their skills to the test. Designed to challenge both strategic thinking and creative execution, the competition spanned multiple rounds, from crisis simulation to B2B and consumer pitching, ultimately crowning one standout team.

TFD's very own "The Thought Leaders" took the top spot on the inaugural PR League leaderboard last month, outperforming strong opponents across each stage and truly living up to the 'leaders' in their team name.

We caught up with the winners, Sam Milligan, Account Director, and Jasmine Gray, Senior Account Director, to get the full story - from their experience competing in the league, the challenges they faced, and their advice to teams entering the next competition.

How did it feel to find out you’d won the PR League?

Sam: It was unbelievable. It felt like a reflection of not just the hours we’d put into the competition, but the years we have put into our careers. It was an ego-boost, a thrill and a pat on the back, and everything in between, all in one. PR has its highs and lows. But this was a high - a massive, unprecedented, mountain of a high. I celebrated for about a week afterwards, and sometimes, when I think about the competition I still think ‘Damn. We smashed it. We absolutely smashed it.’

The PR League had four stages: crisis simulation, consumer pitch, B2B pitch, and the finale. Which stage did you enjoy the most and why?

Jasmine: “The crisis comms simulation might seem like a strange answer, but it was a bit of an adrenaline rush. Thankfully, neither of us have been in a situation quite so dire before, but we’ve also never dealt with something so high-pressure as a team, so it felt like a great learning experience on two fronts. We got a taste of how serious things can get, and how prioritisation (which you’re told is key from day one in PR) becomes one of the most critical skills in a crisis. We also saw how we work together under fire. I’d say it went pretty well. Now I know who to call when things go Pete Tong for real!”

Sam: “The B2C pitch for me! This challenge was so far out of our comfort zone that we adopted a ‘what’s the worst that can happen’ approach. Thus we went with an extremely risky ‘anti-campaign’, centred around ‘the world’s worst sustainability campaign’ (for a new eco-friendly snack!). Some of our stunts included pouring toxic waste into the Thames, staging a ‘Marty Supreme’ style zoom call for the execs, and building a ‘paper’ sweet shop (literally made out of paper). Luckily, the risk paid off. We scored the highest in that stage out of all other agencies (most of which were B2C specialists!) and went to the top of the leaderboard!

What do you think set “The Thought Leaders” apart from other teams?

Jasmine: Probably how competitive we are - it’s well-known among colleagues (sports day wasn’t pretty), but the other teams almost certainly underestimated the lengths we were willing to go to, and how much face we had to lose in the office!

But on a more serious note, I think we weren’t afraid to get really creative and take the path less travelled. We knew our competitors were going to be brilliant at what they do, so we purposely took a different approach to what we normally would in our day-to-day work across most of the challenges - precisely because we wanted to stand out. We’re now carrying some of that ethos into our client work, and definitely into new business pitches.

How has competing in the PR League changed the way you approach PR work?

Sam: Whenever someone questions my work now I say to them ‘do you know who you are talking to? You’re talking to the Champion of the first ever UK PR League!! How dare you question my brilliance!!!’

…I’m joking of course, but to that sentiment (though to a much less egotistical and megalomania heavy extent), I do trust my instincts more.

If you could give one piece of advice to teams entering the next league, what would it be?

Sam: Start with the ideas, and make them brilliant. Think about what the ‘obvious’ is going to be and steer away from it. Be unique and be daring. This is a game, and ‘playing it safe’ won’t get you very far! Also… Give yourself a ridiculous team name that motivates you to actually win the thing. We called ourselves ‘The Thought Leaders’...

Jasmine: Throw everything at it - the kitchen sink, the washing machine, the spice rack, heck, maybe even the airfryer. Just go for it. If you give yourself entirely to the process, there is so much on offer to learn. You’ve got absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain - the PR League gives you a safe space to try stuff out, so why not?”