- Advertising legend Piyush Pandey died on Friday at the age of 70
- Pandey had been suffering from an infection. His last rites will be performed tomorrow
- Pandey worked in advertising for nearly 40 years, creating ads for brands including Fevicol and Cadbury
Advertising legend Piyush Pandey died on Friday. The man behind the iconic advertisements of Fevicol, Cadbury, and Asian Paints was 70.
Pandey had been suffering from an infection. His last rites will be performed on Saturday.
The Voice Of Indian Advertising
Pandey had been working in the advertising industry for nearly four decades. He was the Chief Creative Officer Worldwide and Executive Chairman India of Ogilvy.
Pandey joined Ogilvy in 1982, and wrote his first advertisement for Sunlight Detergent. After six years, he got into the company's creative department and went on to create notable advertisements for Fevicol, Cadbury, Asian Paints, Luna Moped, Fortune Oil, and several other brands.
Under his leadership, Ogilvy India was ranked the number 1 agency for 12 years in Agency Reckoner, an independent survey conducted by The Economic Times.
Pandey has won several awards, including the Padma Shri, which he was conferred with in 2016.
Acting Debut
Pandey ventured into acting as he appeared in the 2013 John Abraham starrer "Madras Cafe," and Magic Pencil Project Videos (a marketing campaign by ICICI Bank).
Pandey was the lyricist of "Mile Sur Mera Tumhara," an Indian song that promoted national integration and unity in diversity. He also co-wrote the screenplay for the film "Bhopal Express."
Tributes Pour In
People from the worlds of business, advertising, and politics paid tribute to Piyush Pandey.
In a post on X, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, "A titan and legend of Indian advertising, he transformed communication by bringing everyday idioms, earthy humor, and genuine warmth into it."
"Have had opportunities to interact with him on various occasions. Heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and the entire creative fraternity. His legacy will continue to inspire generations," Sitharaman added.
"Sad that Piyush Pandey leaves us. He launched Kotak Mahindra Bank with a campaign in 2003, describing banking as “common sense”. Amazing out of the box thinker and a humble person. He weaved creativity with an Indian context. Will miss him," Kotak Mahindra Bank Founder Uday Kotak said.
Calling Pandey his "dearest friend," author-columnist Suhel Seth said, "India has not lost a just a great advertising mind but a true patriot and a fine fine gentleman. Now the heavens will dance to Mile Sur Mera Tumhara."
