Visionary adman, Piyush Pandey, the mind behind some of the most famous Indian campaigns, passes away

Piyush Pandey, widely celebrated as the pioneer of modern Indian advertising, passed away on Friday at the age of 70. The Padma Shri awardee was behind some of the country’s most iconic and memorable ad campaigns.

Pandey had a towering presence at Ogilvy India for over four decades, and was regarded as one of the most influential creative minds in the advertising world. He was lauded for his understanding of Indian consumerism and he was also credited with revolutionising the industry by replacing English-centric ads with relatable, emotion-driven narratives centred around everyday Indian life.

Indian adman, Ogilvy India's Piyush Pandey, passes away at 70

Piyush Pandey joined Ogilvy in 1982 at the age of 27, after trying his hand at cricket and construction. Over the years, he created groundbreaking campaigns for brands such as Asian Paints (“Har khushi mein rang laaye”), Cadbury (“Kuch Khaas Hai”), Fevicol, and Hutch, turning advertisements into pieces of cultural memory.

In the political sphere, Piyush Pandey’s slogan “Abki Baar, Modi Sarkar” became one of the most memorable and widely recognized catchphrases of the 2014 Indian general elections.

Under Piyush Pandey’s leadership, Ogilvy India rose to become one of the most celebrated advertising agencies in the world. In 2018, Piyush and his brother Prasoon Pandey made history as the first Asians to receive the prestigious Lion of St. Mark at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Pandey stepped down as Executive Chairman of Ogilvy India in 2023 to take on an advisory role.

Pandey’s immense contributions to the world of advertising earned him the Padma Shri in 2016 and the LIA Legend Award in 2024.

Besides Prasoon, Piyush Pandey has another famous sibling, acclaimed singer Ila Arun.

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