How A Cadbury Ad By Piyush Pandey Changed The Way India Saw, And Ate, Chocolate

New Delhi:

If you've ever felt the sudden urge to bite into a chocolate bar while watching a cricket match or found yourself smiling at a random, small joy, you have Piyush Pandey to thank. 

The legendary adman, who died in Mumbai on Friday at the age of 70, shaped the way India looked at, and enjoyed, chocolate, and not just for kids. 

From Fevicol's "Jor laga ke haisha" to Asian Paints' "Har ghar kuch kehta hai," his fingerprints are everywhere. But perhaps none of his creations are as universally beloved, or as subtly revolutionary, as the Cadbury Dairy Milk campaigns of the early 1990s.

Chocolates Were For Kids... Until Piyush Pandey Said Otherwise

In 1993-94, India was changing. Liberalisation had opened the market, cable TV was emerging, and consumer habits were evolving. 

Yet chocolate in India was still firmly "kidzoned." Adults were only supposed to eat it sparingly, often alongside flowers for a date or as a reward for children. Tooth decay anxieties and parental disapproval added to the perception. 

Brands had tried nudging chocolate toward adults - Amul's campaign "I am too old for __, too young for ___, just right for Amul" was a witty attempt, but the category largely remained associated with children.

Cadbury had been in the market for decades, but even it stuck largely to selling chocolate as a child's treat. The challenge was clear: how do you convince adults to enjoy something they had long outgrown? The answer was simple yet profound: show them that the child in them still existed.

The result was the iconic campaign "Asli Swaad Zindagi Ka" - the real taste of life. The minute-long ads featured adults across age groups doing ordinary things, but in ways that were spontaneous, joyful, and almost childlike. 

Adults blowing bubbles for babies, women in sarees hopping on the street, expectant mothers demanding chocolate, fathers juggling footballs, even a boy tossing chocolate to a girl boarding a bus - each moment celebrated simple pleasures. Chocolate was barely the hero; humans were. And yet, Cadbury became synonymous with joy.

A Crisis, A Boarding Pass, And A Tune

Behind this transformation was a frantic, inspired process. In 1994, Cadbury approached Ogilvy with the urgent brief: make chocolate appealing to adults. Piyush Pandey was on a Diwali vacation in the USA when his boss called. He booked the next flight home to Bombay, scribbling the initial lyrics on the back of his boarding pass: "There's something so real... in everyone. There's something so real... ask anyone."

Back in India, he called jazz legend Louis Banks, who composed the tune in just 15 minutes. The English version was sung by Gary Lawyer and recorded in a day. 

Pandey, however, wanted it to resonate with Indian audiences, so he adapted the lyrics to Hindi and reached out to Shankar Mahadevan, whose gentle "harkats" in the Kuch Swaad Hai refrain gave the song its now-iconic Indian touch.

The Girl Who Danced Her Way Into History

Music in place, Piyush Pandey's vision needed a face. The choice was Shimona Rashi, known for her authentic, spontaneous dance style. She wasn't a trained dancer, but that was precisely the point. 

The ad, directed by Mahesh Mathai, was filmed at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai in a single take. Shimona's unrestrained movements, chocolate in hand, twirling past security guards, captured joy in its most natural form. She became India's sweetheart long before anyone had heard of "going viral."

The ad's genius lay in its subtlety. The chocolate appeared fleetingly, almost like a cameo. What viewers connected with was Shimona's childlike abandon, the carefree adults, and the gentle, catchy tune that reminded everyone of small pleasures.

Why It Worked, And Still Works

Prakash Nair, Associate President and Integrated Brand Leader at Ogilvy & Mather, told ThePrint: "Before the ad came out, Cadbury chocolate was always targeted as a gift from a parent to a child. The brand needed real impetus for growth. That's when this campaign came in - it was meant to appeal not just to kids but the kid in everyone."

The ad succeeded because it reshaped the cultural perception of chocolate. It was no longer a child's treat; it was a conduit for joy. Adults could laugh, dance, and indulge in small pleasures without guilt. 

The campaign highlighted the universal human need for happiness, subtly linking it to Cadbury without ever forcing a hard sell.

Over 25 years later, the ad's essence remains timeless. People still associate chocolate with celebration and joy, whether it's a stressful day at work or a small personal victory. 

Cadbury's subsequent campaigns: Khush Hai Zamaana, Aj Pehli Tareekh Hai and Kuchh Meetha Ho Jaye, owe their emotional resonance to the trailblazing Asli Swaad Zindagi Ka.

Also Read: How Piyush Pandey Found Shimona Rashi, The Cadbury Girl Who Went Viral Before Social Media Era