Remembering Piyush Pandey, A Soul As Creative As The Colourful Shirts He Wore

While many remember Piyush Pandey as the man behind revolutionary Fevicol or Cadbury advertisements, there is so much more of a legacy he leaves behind to be celebrated.

Pandey was not only the legendary architect of modern Indian advertising, but also had a personality that was as vibrant as his colourful shirts. The man's love for Goa was unmached too.

Pandey had an ability to stand out from the corporate crowd. His colourful shirts mirrored his personality and made him stand out in formal meetings from the suits in the room.

Beyond the boardroom, there is a unique connection that we shared — the state of Goa. The state of Goa and more importantly Goa as a state of mind. Goa will miss the advertising icon.

Pandey is the true voice of Indian advertising. The champion of the desi revival, Pandey’s success stemmed from an unmatched grassroots approach to consumer insight.

He thought in Hindi and harvested consumer insights by visiting the markets. This was possibly during his cab rides. The method surely brought better results when compared to the numbers that market agencies were able to churn out.

This very deep-rooted understanding of the differently geared persona of the Indian consumer, allowed him to create iconic and deeply emotional campaigns for brands.

Piyush believed in contributing to the larger cause in a big way. He will be missed by all of us.

Harish Bijoor is a business and brand-strategy specialist and the founder of Harish Bijoor Consults Inc.