Piyush Pandey's Legacy: Five Iconic Ads That Shaped India’s Advertising Landscape
Through his work, Pandey championed introducing a distinct Indian voice in advertising, moving away from the Westernised styles.
Advertising icon Piyush Pandey passed away at the age of 70 on Friday morning. A creative legend, Pandey was one of India's most influential figures in the advertising industry.
He is widely credited with shaping modern Indian advertising. He started his journey with Ogilvy in 1982 as a trainee account executive and rose through the ranks to become its Chief Creative Officer Worldwide and Executive Chairman India.
Through his work, Pandey introduced a distinctive Indian voice in advertising, moving away from the Westernised styles. Some of Pandey’s iconic ads have left an indelible mark in public memory.
He crafted memorable spots like ‘Googly Woogly Woosh!!’ for Ponds and ‘Kuch Khaas Hai’ for Cadbury Dairy Milk. These ads carried an Indian touch and resonated widely with audiences, defining a new era in Indian advertising.
Five Ads By Piyush Pandey That Shaped The Indian Ad World
In the early 2000s, to revive Cadbury’s appeal among young Indians, Pandey and Ogilvy created the ‘Pappu Pass Ho Gaya’ campaign. The campaign resonated widely, turning the brand into a symbol of celebration.
The Pulse Polio 'Do Boond Zindagi Ke' campaign in the early 1990s was instrumental in creating awareness about the pulse polio campaign in India. Featuring celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, it encouraged people to give their children polio vaccinations.
The 'Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai' campaign focused on celebrating the essence of 'home'. The ad resonated with audiences and strengthened Asian Paints’ image as a brand that connects emotionally with people and their living spaces.
In the early 2000s, Madhya Pradesh’s tourism was struggling and that is when Ogilvy and Piyush Pandey were brought in to revive the industry. Their campaigns, including 'Hindustan Ka Dil Dekho', were highly successful and helped in boosting tourism in the region.
The iconic 'Kuch Khaas Hai' campaign for Cadbury is considered an ad that defined Indian advertising. It encouraged adults to enjoy Cadbury Dairy Milk as a grown-up treat, helping Cadbury move beyond its image of being just a children’s product.
