Piyush Pandey, Icon of Indian Advertising, Passes Away at 70

Piyush Pandey, the man who changed the face of Indian advertising passed away on Thursday at the age of 70. . Widely regarded as the man who gave Indian advertising its voice — and its accent — Pandey spent over four decades at Ogilvy India.Pandey joined Ogilvy in 1982 after brief stints as a cricketer, tea taster, and construction worker. At 27, he entered an ad world dominated by English — and changed it forever. His work for brands like Asian Paints (“Har khushi mein rang laaye”), Cadbury (“Kuch Khaas Hai”), Fevicol, and Hutch turned advertisements into cultural touchstones.

Pandey is also credited with shaping a distinct indigenous influence on Indian advertising that was earlier under the influence of western advertising and ideas. He played the Ranji Trophy for the state of Rajasthan. He worked as a tea taster.  He is the recipient of the LIA Legend Award  (2024), and the Padma Shri award (2016). During his 40 years tenure at Ogilvy & Mather became the largest advertising agency in India.

A passionate cricketer, he likened advertising to a team sport. “A Brian Lara can’t win for the West Indies alone,” he once said. “Then who am I?”Under his leadership, Ogilvy India became one of the most awarded agencies in the world and a training ground for generations of creative leaders. In 2018, Pandey and his brother, filmmaker Prasoon Pandey, became the first Asians to receive the prestigious Lion of St. Mark at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity