Piyush Pandey, the Padma Shree award-winning creative visionary who gave Indian advertising its distinctive voice and soul, died on Thursday at the age of 70. Piyush Pandey was born in Jaipur and is survived by his wife Nita Pandey.
For more than four decades, Pandey has been the face of Ogilvy India – and Indian advertising itself. He joined the agency in 1982 after brief stints as a cricketer, tea taster and construction worker.
At the age of 27, Piyush Pandey entered the world of advertising, which was dominated exclusively by English. He transformed the industry by creating campaigns that spoke in every Indian idiom, rooted in emotions and cultural nuances.
Here are his top five campaigns that commemorate his legacy.
“Kuch Khaas Hai” – Cadbury Dairy Milk
Cadbury’s 1993 Kuch Khaas Hai advertisement, featuring a young woman enjoying her chocolate bar while waiting for a six, then running onto the cricket pitch and dancing with joy when the batsman scored the winning run, remains 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 well received by the Indian audience as it brought a new wave of storytelling.
“Fevicol Addition” – Fevicol
Fevicol’s marketing ads are so impressive that Indians collectively call every brand of glue “Fevicol”. Two of the brand’s most famous campaigns are — a bus crammed with passengers held together by Fevicol ka jod and the iconic egg that won’t break.
These ads won the love and attention of the audience because Fevicol was able to turn a boring industrial adhesive into a beloved cultural icon.
“This time Modi government” — BJP’s election campaign
The BJP campaign was probably one of the most politically influential in the history of Indian advertising. In 2014, when the Narendra Modi-led party wanted to change the Indian political scene, they turned to Ogilvy and Piyush Pandey.
Since then, the famous lines — Abki Baar, Modi Sarkar — rang out on the television screens of every home and shop. The ad with Modi at its center proved powerfully persuasive and helped the BJP win the election with a historic mandate.
“Wherever you go, our network follows you” — Hutch’s pug campaign
Hutch, the former name for the mobile operator that was later renamed Vodafone India in 2007, created one of its most popular commercials with a pug that follows a boy wherever he goes.
With the slogan “Wherever you go, our network follows you”, the campaign combines the charm, relatability and security of 24/7 mobile services.
“Har Ghar Kuchh Kehta Hai” — Asian colors
The ad shows eight scenarios, from a young couple customizing their walls to a food vlogger filming in his kitchen, supported by his grandmother. Each scene captured the everyday moments that turn a house into a home.
A familiar, calm and poetic voiceover emphasized that the true essence of a home lies not in its structure, but in the lives that live within. Har Ghar Kuchh Kehta Hai won the hearts of many viewers as it directly struck an emotional chord.
