Data can wait, look at the world — Piyush Pandey’s final lesson

As news of India’s celebrated ad guru Piyush Pandey’s passing broke on Friday morning, the nation was swept with nostalgia — memories of jingles You & I in This Beautiful World, Kuch Khaas Hai Hum Sabhi Mein, Googly Woogly Woosh and countless others came rushing back. He was 70.

One of India’s most cherished storyteller — the man who turned glue, chocolate and even paint into emotions — taught Indian advertising to speak in its own language. A Padma Shri awardee and the Chief Executive Chairman (India) of Ogilvy, Pandey won nearly every major advertising honour, multiple times over. He was also an accomplished author, penning books as Pandeymonium and Open House with Piyush Pandey, offering an intimate glimpse into the mind of a man who made India smile, sing and believe.

The Jaipur boy, who went at St Stephen’s College, Delhi for higher studies, often credited life itself for teaching him advertising. “Everything around you is a lesson — don’t ignore it; there’s so much to learn,” he would say.

He also credited the creative energy within his home that shaped him into a storyteller. The eighth child after seven sisters, Piyush was obsessed with cricket, while his sisters were immersed in creative pursuits — one played the sitar, another excelled in debates, and yet another sang (his elder sister is the renowned singer Ila Arun). Pandey often said that the rhythm, emotion and energy of his household were his first lessons in creativity.

He also acknowledged the role of Indian Railways for turning him into such a relatable storyteller. In fact, one of his books has an entire chapter dedicated to it titled Training on Wheels. While studying and playing cricket, Piyush travelled the length and breadth of India by train — sometimes for over 48 hours at a stretch. Those journeys, spent observing people and conversations, became his window into the real India. They later inspired some of his most memorable ad campaigns.

For Piyush, the brief was always simple: tell an engaging story. He believed the true measure of a great ad was not numbers or hits but whether people talked about it. Cadbury, for him, was not selling chocolates but stood for generosity! Remember Shah Rukh Khan turning the brand ambassador for your local grocerywala…

Over three decades, he created unforgettable campaigns for Fevicol and Cadbury, among many others. His inspiration came from everyday people — like his barber who asked him, ‘Fevicol ka naya ad kab la rahe ho?’ to thousands who wrote to him suggesting concepts for the next Fevicol commercial. Humble, he embraced their enthusiasm with gratitude and humour.

That was Piyush Pandey — a man who never stopped observing, learning and connecting with the pulse of India. Among the countless jingles he created and the many lessons he left behind, we want to remember him by this that he spoke in his one of his last interviews, “Computer mein jhaankoge to data dikhega, nazar uthaoge to duniya dikhegi — find the balance!”

The words that defined a nation

1. Fevicol Ka Mazboot Jod Hai Tootega Nahi (Fevicol)

2. Kuch Khaas Hai Hum Sabhi Mei (Cadbury Dairy Milk)

3. You & I in This Beautiful World (Vodafone / Hutch)

4. Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai (Asian Paints)

5. Googly Woogly Woosh (Pond)

6. Do Boond Zindagi Ke (Pulse Polio)

7. Hamara Bajaj (Bajaj)

8. Kuch Din to Gujaro Gujarat Me (Gujarat Tourism)

9. Ab Ki Baar Modi Sarkar (Bharatiya Janata Party)

10. Mile Sur Mera Tumhara (National Integration)

Celebs pay tribute

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