Remembering Piyush Pandey: The Doyen of Indian Advertising

Piyush was one of those rare leaders who transformed Indian advertising through clarity, instinct, and humanity. He had an uncanny grasp of people across cultures and classes, which is why work like Chal Meri Luna and Asian Paints’ Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai—a line he wrote and then voiced in his unforgettable baritone—felt so deeply Indian. And with Cadbury Dairy Milk’s Asli Swad Zindagi Ka, he created what would later be celebrated as the “Ad of the Century”. His mantra was simple: “Common sense is the best strategy.” Fevicol, his favourite playground, became the ultimate example of that belief.

Piyush wore his heart on his sleeve. I’ve seen him tear up at emotional ads; if something moved him, he believed it could move millions. His empathy showed up in other ways too. Because he had once worked in client servicing, he understood client pressures better than most creative people. That made it easier for him to sell braver ideas—he could win hearts in the boardroom as easily as he could in the living room.

He shaped our craft in ways big and small. When young writers like me narrated long-winded 30-second scripts, he would interrupt with: “Interval kab ayega?” In one line, he taught us timing, brevity, and respect for the audience. He also believed every creative mind needs a “bouncing board,” someone who encourages but also says, “This doesn’t work.” His lessons weren’t only about advertising craft though. When I once criticised another agency’s work in a column, he gently reminded me never to judge without knowing their constraints. That lesson stayed.

For all his stature, he remained a salt-of-the-earth man. He called me “Bangali Babu,” or on his happiest days, “Babumoshai!” And anything to do with English—scripts, lines, phrasing—he instinctively turned to me for. In that sense, long before my social media avatar was born, I first became The English Nut in his eyes.

When I last spoke to him, I told him about my first book. He said he wanted to attend my Mumbai launch. I never imagined that would be our final conversation. He left too soon.

Chattopadhyay is the author of ‘Stories of Words and Phrases’, the creator of social media channel, The English Nut, and former chairman and chief creative officer of 82.5 Communications, an Ogilvy and WPP agency. Views are personal.