Piyush Pandey, Padma Shri recipient who revolutionised Indian advertising, passes away at 70

Piyush Pandey, regarded as the architect of Indian advertising, passed away at 70 on Friday. The Padma Shri recipient was credited with some of the most iconic and popular campaigns.

Panday was the face of Ogilvy India for more than 40 years and was considered one of the most influential figures in the advertising industry. He had a deep understanding of Indian consumers and transformed English-centric campaigns into more relatable stories that reflected everyday life and emotions in India.

He joined joined Ogilvy in 1982 at the age of 27 atrying his had at cricket, tea tasing and construction. Some of his prominent works include campaigns for brands like Asian Paints (“Har khushi mein rang laaye”), Cadbury (“Kuch Khaas Hai”), Fevicol, and Hutch turned advertisements into cultural touchstones.

Pandey brought Hindi and colloquial Indian phrases into advertising, and added them with warmth, humor and humanity.