Piyush Pandey, the advertising maestro to take a new portfolio at Ogilvy

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Ogilvy India on Tuesday announced that Piyush Pandey is stepping into an advisory role at the company from the post of chairman global creative and executive chairman, starting January 1, 2024.

Pandey will work closely with the leadership team and major clients.

Early life

Born in 1955 in Jaipur, Pandey played in the Ranji Trophy for the state of Rajasthan. Brother to filmmaker Prasoon Pandey and singer Ila Arun,  Piyush got into the field of advertising at a very young age.  His first brush with advertising was in school, where he participated in radio ads. He, along with his brother Prasoon, sang and did voiceovers for soaps, agarbattis, and locks. Pandey has worked as a tea taster.

Career

Pandey spent over 40 years in advertising, making a name for himself with some of the famous and important campaigns he did.

-"Kuch Khaas Hai Hum Sabhi Mein" for cadbury

The 1993 Cadbury campaign, "Kuch Khaas Hai Hum Sabhi Mein" — the dancing girl ad as it is popularly known — is one of the masterpieces created by him. The ad was recreated in 2021.

-"Abki baar, Modi sarkar"

Pandey is also known for his famous election slogan, "Ab ki baar Modi sarkar", which he wrote for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014. The slogan was later borrowed by Donald Trump.

-Fevicol ad campaigns: fevicol bus, fevicol fish, fevicol sofa

Created by Pandey, the ad featured an overcrowded bus being driven in the dessert of Rajasthan. Each passenger was glued to the bus and did not lose grip. The ad ends with a board stuck at the rear of the bus which read, ‘Fevicol – the ultimate adhesive’.

Some other notable ad campaigns created by Pandey include ad for Asian Paints; the polio ad campaign with actor Amitabh Bachchan; the Fevikwik ad campaigns such as "Todo nahin, Jodo"; Vodafone ad campaigns that involved pug and zoozoos; campaigns for Indian tourism; anti-smoking campaign for the Cancer Patients Association; and Gujarat Tourism campaigns, among many others.

Films and books

In 1988, he wrote the Indian patriotic song "Mile Sur Mera Tumhara" for the National Integration campaign.

Pandey also appeared in the John Abraham-starrer film Madras Cafe as the cabinet secretary. He also has two books to his credit — Pandeymonium (2015), and Open House with Piyush Pandey (2022).

Awards

Along with his brother Prasoon, Piyush was awarded the Lion of St. Mark, the Cannes Lions' Lifetime Achievement Award, which is the highest honour that the Cannes International Festival of Creativity gives within the communications industry.

The most recognisable Indian face in advertising across the globe, Pandey was the first Asian to be the president of the Film, Press and Outdoor juries at Cannes Lions in 2004.

He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from CLIO Awards in 2012. He is also the first person in advertising to receive the Padma Shri, an award conferred by the President of India.

Career at Ogilvy

Pandey started his partnership with Ogilvy in 1982 when he was a 27-year-old cricket player who tried everything from tea tasting and construction before he started work in advertising.

Devika Seth Bulchandani, global chief executive officer of Ogilvy, said, "He batted and hit sixes time and time again while doing so. There's no bigger giant in our industry than Piyush right now. The biggest hallmark of a giant is the succession that it creates. The team he has put together has been here for 20 plus years and there's an incredible group of giants who will be taking over."

Pandey's colleagues at Ogilvy India said that the brand Ogilvy India is equal to the brand Piyush Pandey. To this, Pandey replied, "I don't take such comments seriously. The day you take it seriously, you take yourself seriously. The day you take yourself seriously, then you can start winding up."

He added, "I believe that I am a product of Ogilvy. I believe that my success is based on a lot of team members of mine who are products of Ogilvy. Together, we win because we have a great team. A Brian Lara cannot win for the West Indies alone, despite being the best in the world. Then, who am I? I have succeeded to whatever extent I have because of the amazing team I have. The teams have changed over the many years but each one of them is a rockstar and they make me look good."