'From its launch in 1968, Campaign has been the jewel in Haymarket's crown'

The message was short, to the point and without emotion. “Next week is the last print edition of Campaign. Would you like to do a piece for the back page?”

For me it was far from such a description. From its launch in 1968, Campaign has been the jewel in Haymarket’s crown. It is the magazine that has carried our reputation across the world with its first-class journalism, its visual presentation and its professional documentation of its market. I just loved the feel of it and have done so ever since I first handed a grotty copy of World’s Press News that we had acquired in 1968 to my colleague Lindsay Masters with the two-word instruction: Ad Age. Months later Campaign took the industry by storm and became the model with which others presented different industries. I shall hold that last edition with tears in my eyes.

Life moves on. So too does Campaign.

All those years ago Campaign was designed to cover the British market. Today it is online in the international marketplace, the media partner of Cannes Lions and with editions in the United States, Canada, Japan, India, Hong Kong, the Middle East and of course the UK. The standards it sets are as high as they ever were but the horizon today is worldwide. I could not be more proud and wish the best of all good fortune to the remarkable people who are driving the endeavour forward.

The Autumn (and final) issue of Campaign is out now

Michael Heseltine is the founder of Haymarket.