The Big Break that changed Indian advertising: Piyush Pandey & Ogilvy
Piyush Pandey is regarded as the creative soul of Indian advertising and Ogilvy. A man who didn’t just write ads but rewrote the language in which India spoke to itself.
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In 1982, Ranjan Kapur, a visionary leader and former banker who had transitioned into advertising, made an unorthodox hire at Ogilvy India. The candidate was 27 years old, with no ad agency experience, a moustache that would become iconic, and a resume that included cricket, tea tasting, and a stint in construction. His name was Piyush Pandey.
That moment would go on to transform Indian advertising.
As the legendary Piyush Pandey turns seventy years old this month, watch his 'Big Break' story.
🔥 How Piyush Pandey Got His Big Break in Advertising 🔥
— Storyboard18 (@BrandStoryboard) April 14, 2025
As the ad legend turns 70 years old this month, listen to his #BigBreak story.
Click ⬇️ to know more about the Big Break that changed Indian advertising: https://t.co/Iz7qEdRRP7@Ogilvy pic.twitter.com/RVGTXFphgR
Over four decades later, Pandey is regarded as the creative soul of Indian advertising and Ogilvy, a man who didn’t just write ads but rewrote the language in which India spoke to itself. In September 2023, he stepped down as Executive Chairman of Ogilvy India, closing a chapter that shaped the country’s cultural and commercial landscape.
Pandey gave Indian advertising its accent. Where once English dominated, he brought Hindi to the fore. His campaigns for brands like Cadbury, Fevicol, Asian Paints, among many others were more than memorable, they were deeply resonant, emotionally intelligent, and rooted in everyday life.
But Pandey’s ascent wasn’t fueled by cleverness alone. His influence stemmed from his empathy. He believed in ideas born from the street, from the chai tapri, from the red diary he kept at Ogilvy - a place where his team collected insights from the field. The diary was lost in an office move. The spirit behind it wasn’t.
“He changed not just the language of Indian advertising,” a longtime colleague said, “he changed its grammar.”
Under his leadership, Ogilvy became a crucible of talent. He nurtured not just brands but people. Known for deflecting praise and offering cricket metaphors in its place, he once quipped, “A Brian Lara can’t win for the West Indies alone. Then who am I?”
In 2018, Pandey and his brother Prasoon became the first Asians awarded the Cannes Lion of St. Mark for lifetime achievement. But even as global accolades poured in, Pandey remained rooted. “Somewhere, you need to touch the hearts,” he told young creatives. “No audience is going to see your work and say, ‘How did they do it?’ They will say, ‘I love it.’”
His words could just as easily describe his legacy.
