Piyush Pandey, the Father of Indian Advertising and creator of iconic campaigns, passes away at 70
Piyush Pandey a ‘Father of Indian Advertising’ and creator of ads that spoke the language of the people, not the agency he represented, has passed away aged 70. The ads that Piyush Pandey created — which sold emotions and identity, rather than just a thinking tool — have become a benchmark for advertising in India.
Aadrika Tayal 
New Delhi (India) October 24: Piyush Pandey, the advertising maestro behind iconic campaigns for Fevicol and the Vodafone ad with a pug inside it, died at the age of 70 on Friday. Considered a stalwart of India’s advertising industry, he will be remembered for several memorable campaigns.
Iconic Campaigns
From Cadbury’s ‘Kuch Khaas Hai’ and Asian Paints’ ‘Har Khushi Mein Rang Laye’ to Vodafone’s memorable pug ad, Pandey’s thoughts found their way into Indian pop culture.
His catchphrase, “Ab ki baar, Modi sarkar,” for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2014 election campaign soon turned into a much-repeated political slogan.
Tributes Pour In from Leaders
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the veteran adman’s death. He posted, “He made a monumental contribution to the world of advertising and communications. I will fondly cherish our interactions over the years. Saddened by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and admirers” on social media platform X.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, “Saddened to hear of the passing of Shri Piyush Pandey. 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.”
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal also expressed grief after the loss of the advertising legend.
He posted, "Truly at a loss for words to express my sadness at the demise of Padma Shri Piyush Pandey. A phenomenon in the world of advertising, his creative genius redefined storytelling, giving us unforgettable and timeless narratives. To me, he was a friend whose brilliance shone through his authenticity, warmth, and wit. I will always cherish our engaging interactions. He leaves behind a deep void that will be hard to fill. My deepest condolences to his family, friends, and admirers. Om Shanti,” on X.
A Man Who Changed Indian Advertising
Piyush Pandey’s ads were both smart and emotionally true, in a language that was easy to get. It was Indian in concept and true to the soul of India. His commercials played more widely with a level of sophistication to them — it was storytelling within a minute or less, before Instagram reels were a thing.
Honoured for His Creative Genius
The year 2004 proved to be a landmark one for Piyush Pandey—he became the first Asian to be appointed as Jury President at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. His pioneering work was later honoured with the CLIO Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 and the Padma Shri, for he became the first individual from Indian advertising to be felicitated with this national honor. His book Pandeymonium was released in 2015, and ruminated on his journey till date, and the one ahead.
An eminent adman, Pandey was Ogilvy's Chief Creative Officer Worldwide (2019) and Executive Chairman India. In 2024, he received the LIA Legend Award. Sunlight Detergent Print Ad was the first ad that he wrote.
Pandey’s portfolio of iconic work includes campaigns across a vast spectrum. His notable commercial work includes a campaign against Polio starring Amitabh Bachchan, as well as the Fevikwik ads “Todo Nahin, Jodo", Ponds’ famous Googly Woogly Woosh, Vodafone’s ZooZoo campaigns and Gujarat Tourism etc to anti-tobacco for Cancer Patients Association.
