First & Last

The first edition of Aurora was published in July 1998.Conceived as a marketing newsletter for DawnMedia,the first issue was just 20 pages. The size and formatwere based on the ones used by Campaign and AdAge (UK and US marketing-focused magazines); the formatlending itself to larger and bolder illustrative design. The designwas conceptualised and executed by Creative Unit, a top designhouse led by Tannaz Minwalla and Mannan Hatim Ali. CreativeUnit set the template for the magazine, a template that Auroracontinued to adhere to when the magazine’s design capabilitieswere shifted in-house in September 2019.

Aurora’s ambition was to prove bigger than the 20 pages of itsfirst edition; an ambition that was set out in the first editorial: “TheAurora principle is the promotion of advertising excellence. Thiswas clearly established when, in December 1992, Dawn heldthe Aurora Awards… Today we extend the concept of advertisingexcellence by publishing Aurora – the print version.“

Twenty-seven years later, this ambition has been realised. Themagazine today has an average of 68 to 70 pages. In November2001, Aurora launched its Special Annual Edition at 60 pages,incorporating the Aurora Fact File, providing the only crediblysourced data on ad spend. Over the years, the annual editionincreased to between 140 and 150 pages and is now a much-awaitedpublishing event by the advertising community, especiallythe Aurora Fact File. In 2004 and 2008, Aurora published ThePurple Book, a standalone directory of advertising services inPakistan, and in 2013, Clicks, Hits and Likes, a directory of digitalservices available in Pakistan, was launched.

Aurora has grown in stature to become an authentic voice ofthe advertising industry. Authentic because its pages are writtenby professionals across the advertising and marketing spectrum.In many ways, Aurora acts as an enabler for the professionby publishing diverse opinions and insights and providing theprofession a forum where new ideas can be expressed anddebated, with coverage extended to business, finance, industry,the digital economy, the start-up ecosystem and consumerlifestyle trends.

Aurora’s last issue features Pakistan’s auto industry andits transition to renewable energy across the electric vehiclespectrum – making it the third edition to devote a cover storyto automobiles, a sector where government policies, business,the economy and consumers converge. The issue looks at theground realities and what it will take for EVs to turn into a viableoption in both the two- and four-wheeler segments. The intentis there from the auto industry as well as from the governmentperspective, but consumers will be harder to convince until theinfrastructure is made adequate and the cost benefits of runningEVs become tangible.

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