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“Pandeymonium”: The timeless lessons of Piyush Pandey, the man who gave Indian advertising its soul
From cricket fields to ad boardrooms, Piyush Pandey’s journey was a masterclass in creative honesty, cultural rootedness, and human connection. His book Pandeymonium captures the wisdom, wit, and heart that defined his craft - and his life.
Piyush Pandey's lessons - about simplicity, empathy, and staying human - remain as relevant in the age of algorithms and influencers as they were in the age of jingles and print ads. (Image source: Pranali Katkar's Instagram)
Piyush Pandey and his iconic moustache have long been the face of Ogilvy India - and of Indian advertising itself. The legendary adman, who passed away on October 24, 2025, at the age of 70, left behind not just memorable campaigns but also a philosophy of creativity that continues to shape generations.
Through his book Pandeymonium, Pandey opened a window into his life, his work, and the thinking that powered some of India’s most iconic campaigns - from Fevicol’s humorous classics to Cadbury Dairy Milk’s “Kuch Khaas Hai” and Asian Paints’ “Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai.”
What made Pandey’s storytelling remarkable was its rootedness.
His ads didn’t talk at India; they spoke from India - in a language that was warm, witty, and deeply human.
In Pandeymonium, he distilled decades of creative wisdom into lessons that transcend advertising.
Lessons from “Pandeymonium”: The Piyush Pandey Way
1. “Every creative person is the result of the environment in which they were brought up.”
Pandey often said that creativity doesn’t exist in isolation. His upbringing in Jaipur, surrounded by music, cricket, and everyday stories, shaped his instinct for the Indian soul. “If you understand where you come from,” he wrote, “you’ll know where your ideas are born.”
2. “Whatever you say, say it with respect for the audience.”
Pandey believed in communicating to people, not at them. “Say it in a context that the audience can understand, say it spontaneously, and say it without fear - but always say it to delight.”
3. “Be careful about selecting content -ensure that what you say brings a smile to the recipients.”
His belief in joy was visible in every campaign, from Cadbury’s “Kuch Khaas Hai” to Fevicol’s hilarious storytelling. “Advertising should leave you happier than before you saw it,” he said.
4. “Don’t look at how different people are. Look for what’s common.”
For Pandey, great communication meant finding shared emotion. “When you tap into what unites people: pride, love, laughter, you speak to everyone.”
5. “Build a community of friends or people around you who possess different talents.”
He saw creativity as a team sport. “You can’t create magic alone,” he wrote. “You need friends who think differently, argue loudly, and care deeply.”
6. “We’re like the musk deer - going far and wide for answers when they’re right next to us.”
Pandey urged creatives to trust their instincts and surroundings. “India is bursting with stories. Don’t go to Madison Avenue looking for them; go to your next-door chai shop.”
7. “If you’re passionate about a category, it helps.”
His campaigns for brands like Fevicol and Bajaj reflected genuine enthusiasm. “It’s the passion and the involvement that count in the end — real passion, not pretended.”
8. “Creating communication requires diverse people to come together.”
Pandey saw value in disagreements. “Have conversations, debates, arguments - all towards the greater cause of creating great work.”
9. “Simple communication reaches and touches many more people.”
He considered simplicity the highest form of sophistication. “If my mother can understand an ad without effort,” he joked, “I know it’s a good one.”
10. “Don’t let the child in you die. They are the genius. You are not.”
This was Pandey’s most quoted line- a creative philosophy that defined him. “The child in you dreams fearlessly. Protect that child at all costs.”
11. “Our preconceived notions make us label people and slot them into boxes.”
He cautioned against judgement. “When you do that, you lose opportunities and relationships. Creativity thrives on curiosity, not assumption.”
12. “The more patient I get, the more I respect the individual behind the client.”
Pandey humanised the client-agency dynamic. “When you listen instead of react, you build trust - and great work follows trust.”
13. “Stay focused on the challenges of the brief, and you become closer.”
His advice to young creatives was simple: “Don’t fight the brief. Fall in love with it. That’s where your best ideas hide.”
14. “Understand the systems and rules you must navigate — and manage them together.”
Pandey acknowledged the practical side of creativity. “You can bend rules, but never break respect.”
15. “Real research is where you pack your bags and stop by the roadside.”
He distrusted “boardroom research.” “You’ll find truth in dhabas, not data sheets,” he said. “Talk to people - they’ll tell you what works.”
16. “Music plays a huge role in any form of communication.”
Pandey saw music as the soul of Indian storytelling. “It should never intimidate,” he wrote. “It must live the script and engage the viewer.”
He even laid down three golden rules:
“Don’t take the brief literally.” “Never force music onto the consumer.” “Don’t sing brand names.”
17. “When you work with a celebrity, people must find the celebrity, the script, and the idea memorable - not just the celebrity.”
He warned against lazy celebrity ads. “If the viewer remembers the actor but not the brand, you’ve lost the plot.”
18. “Treat every day as a session at the nets.”
A lifelong cricket lover, Pandey drew parallels between cricket and creativity. “Some days you’ll hit sixes, some days you’ll defend. The point is to keep showing up.”
19. “The day you think you have arrived is when the downfall begins.”
He never believed in creative complacency. “Stay nervous. It means you still care.”
20. “If you’re convinced you’re right, stand up for your beliefs- with sensitivity and tact.”
Pandey’s courage was balanced by grace. “Confidence isn’t about shouting louder,” he wrote. “It’s about holding your ground quietly.”
More than a memoir, Pandeymonium was a creative manifesto, a reminder that advertising is not just about selling, but about connecting. Pandey’s work was never about cleverness for its own sake. It was about people, relationships, and the poetry in everyday life.
His lessons: about simplicity, empathy, and staying human, remain as relevant in the age of algorithms and influencers as they were in the age of jingles and print ads.
As Pandey himself might have said: The day you stop speaking from the heart, your advertising - and your art - stops living.
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