New Delhi: One of the most innovative advertising brains in India, Piyush Pandey, the creator of memorable campaigns in the case of Fevicol, Cadbury, and Asian Paints, died on Friday, at the age of 70. Before his death he had been experiencing an infection.
Pandey, the Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy, had a career of over forty years to redefine the way Indians relate to the brands. He started working with Ogilvy in 1982 and in the years they had been working together, he changed the company into one of the most reputable advertising agencies in India. He was known to have a great insight into the culture and feelings of the Indians and made ads which talked the language of the people simple, funny and heart touching.
Among his most successful is the Fevicol ka Jod campaign, Cadbury “Kuch Khaas Hai advertisement and numerous memorable TV ads of Asian Paints and SBI. His style was based upon Indian values and he tended to blend little humor with heart-wrenching narratives. The ads by Pandey were not only about selling products, but when one watched them they smiled, thought and remembered.
His skillfulness and creativity has made him get variety of awards in his career. Government of India in 2016 gave him the Padma Shri in honor of his tremendous contribution to the Indian advertising. He had fame internationally as well where he won awards at Cannes and other international festivals of creativity of the Indians.
Tributes started to flow in the country after the news of his passing was announced. Prime minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences stating that Pandey was a creative genius that knew the pulse of the people. Nirmala Sitharaman, the Union Minister, and most people in the advertising and business community also offered their tributes and recalled him as a mentor and visionary who transformed the face of Indian advertising permanently.
According to the description of the colleagues and friends, he was warm and witty and passionate about the work he did. Despite the fame that followed internationally, Pandey never lost touch with his own reality and never ceased in inspiring the young talent to be different and never forget their origin.
