Agency News
Why advertising agencies can no longer afford single-sector dependence
“A Monumental Creative Force”: PM Modi mourns the passing of Piyush Pandey
Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the nation in paying tribute to the legendary adman, calling him a visionary whose creativity and warmth left an indelible mark not only on advertising but also on Indian popular culture.
Pandey, who spent over four decades at Ogilvy India, was widely celebrated as the man who gave Indian advertising its distinct voice — and its unmistakable accent.
Piyush Pandey, the creative titan who gave Indian advertising its soul, voice, and unmistakable local flavour, passed away on Thursday, marking the end of an era that redefined how India spoke to itself through brands and storytelling.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the nation in paying tribute to the legendary adman, calling him a visionary whose creativity and warmth left an indelible mark not only on advertising but also on Indian popular culture.
“Shri Piyush Pandey Ji was admired for his creativity. He made a monumental contribution to the world of advertising and communications. I will fondly cherish our interactions over the years. Saddened by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and admirers. Om Shanti,” the Prime Minister said in a post on X.
Pandey, who spent over four decades at Ogilvy India, was widely celebrated as the man who gave Indian advertising its distinct voice — and its unmistakable accent. His passing closes a chapter in the history of Indian advertising, one written in colloquial warmth, earthy humour, and stories that came straight from the heart of the country.
From his early days at Ogilvy, which he joined in 1982 after stints as a cricketer, tea taster, and construction worker, Pandey’s rise mirrored India’s own creative awakening. At a time when English dominated the advertising world, he brought Hindi and local idioms into the mainstream, making advertisements feel Indian for the first time.
His campaigns for Fevicol, Cadbury (“Kuch Khaas Hai”), Asian Paints (“Har Khushi Mein Rang Laaye”), and Hutch (“You & I”) became cultural landmarks — remembered as much for their emotional resonance as for their wit.
“Piyush didn’t just change the language of Indian advertising,” said a longtime colleague. “He changed its grammar. He made us sound like ourselves.”
Even at the peak of his fame, Pandey remained grounded. A lifelong cricket lover, he often likened advertising to a team sport. “A Brian Lara can’t win for the West Indies alone,” he would say. “Then who am I?”
Under his leadership, Ogilvy India became one of the most awarded creative agencies globally, producing work that won hearts before it won trophies. In 2018, Pandey and his brother, filmmaker Prasoon Pandey, became the first Asians to receive the Lion of St. Mark at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity — one of the highest honours in global advertising.
True to his philosophy, Pandey always championed creativity that connected emotionally rather than dazzled technically. “Somewhere, you need to touch the hearts,” he had said in an interview. “No audience is going to see your work and say, ‘How did they do it?’ They will say, ‘I love it.’”
As tributes pour in from across industries — from brand leaders to filmmakers and cricketers — one sentiment stands out: that Piyush Pandey wasn’t just an adman. He was India’s storyteller-in-chief, a man who taught brands to speak in the language of the people, and to do it with heart, humour, and honesty.
The Grand Irony: Agencies That Built Brands, Forgot to Build For Themselves
Despite being the original architects of global brands, advertising holding companies are collapsing in market value because they still sell human hours while the world now rewards scalable, self-learning systems.