Aurora Magazine (Pakistan)

Pop culture refers to the most dominant trends and beliefs in a society. It is shaped by both the young and technology. Pop culture draws its influences from TV, radio, cinema and celebrities among other sources, and in recent times, social media, influencers and virtual communities have played their part in shaping pop culture.

When I filed my first column for Aurora 27 years ago in 1998 (yes, that’s right, around about the time most of you were born), the advertising world operated on three sacred truths: 1) The client is always right (even when they are patently wrong); 2) This will only take five minutes (possibly the greatest lie ever told in the creative department); and 3) The cheque is in the mail (the second biggest lie). While these tenets still ring true, there are some things that actually have changed.

Shizra Mangnejo: JazzCash has grown into one of the most recognized fintech brands in Pakistan. How would you describe its brand positioning today, and how has it evolved since 2012? Asad Rizvi: When we started in 2012 as MobiCash under Mobilink, there wasn’t a dedicated communication strategy. It was more about basic awareness. Once we rebranded to JazzCash, the service was still nestled under the broader Jazz umbrella without a distinct identity.

Numbers often act as a universal truth; usually, a metric is the first thing we quote to prove a point. Often, numerical measures define how ‘success’ is perceived, shape government policies and steer billion-dollar industries. But did you know that often, the very people who create metrics also question their use? History is littered with examples of widely adopted and institutionalised measures that have been publicly criticised by their own creators.

The attack in Pahalgam in April shook the region and sparked a brief war situation between Pakistan and India. As tensions escalated on the military front, the media coverage by the Pakistani and Indian news outlets triggered a digital upheaval of disinformation, jingoism and Bollywood-esque war-mongering.

There is no set script in venture capital (VC) – especially in a market like Pakistan. The pace is unpredictable, and the demands shift constantly. Every day calls for fresh thinking, fast decisions and the ability to course-correct without losing momentum. VC in Pakistan does not follow the same arc as more mature ecosystems; it has to adapt. You are building in an environment where infrastructure gaps, macroeconomic volatility and regulatory uncertainty are part of the terrain.

Campaign Watch Emen Iftikhar Kiani selects her favourite and least favourite ad campaigns. Emen Iftikhar KianiPublished 01 Aug, 2025 10:50am If 2025’s Ad Land had a mood board, it would be meme, mic drop and meaning. Muzz dragged every “ghar walay nahi maanay” guy and left him on read. Kenwood’s father-in-law’s roast became an AC flex. And The Nerve!’s barbed jewellery PSA cut deep without a word. Conglo threw Talha and Shaheen into the meme blender and hit viral. BBDO?

I have always had a passion for all types of cars. Yet, when the electric vehicle (EV) fad started, I was a non-believer. The world was hailing EVs as the future of transportation, promising cleaner air and freedom from costly fuel imports. However, in Pakistan, the electric dream faces a harsh reality. Despite ambitious government targets and the global hype, a drive through Pakistani streets shows that EVs remain a rarity.

There was a time when car ads would make you feel something. The thrill of the open road, the pride of a new purchase and the stories that stayed with you. In Pakistan, unfortunately, car advertising has devolved into a predictable, glossy mishmash of drone shots, orchestral music, and interchangeable VO artists telling us… nothing new. Today’s automotive ad scene in Pakistan can be summarised in one sentence: Mountains. Drone shots. Dark grade. English voiceover about ‘power and elegance.’ Cut. Paste.

MAMUN M. ADIL: WHEN DID YOU JOIN EV TECHNOLOGIES? HUMA YAHYA KHATTAK: I joined EV Technologies in September 2024, which is a sister concern of WaveTech, a 35-year-old company with several business interests. Prior to this, I spent a lot of time in the UAE in the telecom sector, including a tenure at Du. I moved to Pakistan due to personal reasons and initially worked with K-Electric, where I was head of customer experience. That was my first venture in the energy sector.