Padma Shri award-winning creative visionary Piyush Pandey, who gave his distinctive voice and soul to Indian advertising, died on Thursday at the age of 70. Born in Jaipur, Piyush Pandey is survived by his wife Neeta Pandey.
For more than four decades, Pandey stood as the face of Ogilvy India and Indian advertising itself. He joined the agency in 1982 after brief experience as a cricketer, tea taster and construction worker.
At the age of 27, Piyush Pandey entered the advertising world completely dominated by English. He transformed the industry by creating campaigns that spoke to every Indian idiom rooted in emotions and cultural nuances.
Here are his top five campaigns to remember his legacy.
“Kuch Khaas Hai” – Cadbury Dairy Milk
Cadbury’s 1993 Kuch Khaas Hai The ad shows a young woman savoring her chocolate bar while expecting to hit a six, then running onto the cricket pitch, dancing in joy as the batsman scores the winning run, one of the most memorable moments in advertising history.
Directed by Shantanu Shorey and conceptualized by Piyush Pandey’s team at Ogilvy, the ad was much loved by the Indian audience as it introduced a new wave of storytelling.
“Fevicol Addition” – Fevicol
Fevicol’s marketing advertisements are so effective that Indians collectively call each adhesive brand ‘Fevicol’. Two of the brand’s most famous campaigns are – A bus packed with passengers Addition of Fevicol And the iconic egg that won’t break.
These advertisements received love and traction from the audience as Fevicol managed to transform a dull industrial adhesive into a beloved cultural icon.
“This time, Modi government” — BJP election campaign
The BJP’s campaign has arguably been one of the most politically effective campaigns in Indian advertising history. In 2014, when the Narendra Modi-led party was looking to change India’s political landscape, they turned to Ogilvy and Piyush Pandey.
Since then, the famous lines – This time, Modi government – echoed on the TV screens of every home and shop. The advertisement featuring Modi at the center proved to be highly persuasive and helped the BJP win the elections with a historic mandate.
“Wherever you go, our network follows you” – Hutch’s Pug Campaign
Hutch, the former name of a mobile network operator that was later rebranded as Vodafone India in 2007, created one of its best-loved commercials, featuring a pug following a boy wherever he goes.
With the tagline “Wherever you go, our network follows you”, the campaign combines charm, relatability and the assurance of uninterrupted mobile service.
“Har Ghar Kuchh Kehta Hai” — Asian Paints
The ad shows eight scenarios, ranging from a young couple personalizing their walls to a food vlogger filming in her kitchen, supported by her grandmother. Each scene captures the everyday moments that turn a house into a home.
The familiar, calm and poetic voiceover emphasizes that the true essence of a home lies not in its structure but in the life that lives within it. Every house says something It won the hearts of many viewers as it created a direct emotional connect.
