The innovative visionary who gave Indian advertising its unique voice and spirit, Piyush Pandey, passed away on Thursday. He was seventy.
Pandey served as the spokesperson for Ogilvy India and Indian advertising in general for more than 40 years. With his distinctive moustache, loud laugh, and profound awareness of the Indian customer, he turned advertisements from English-speaking displays into narratives based on the emotions and daily lives of the nation.
A street storyteller
Pandey, who was born in Jaipur, had his first experience with advertising early on when he and his brother Prasoon sang radio jingles for commonplace goods. He experimented with building, tea tasting, and cricket before joining Ogilvy in 1982. 

However, he discovered his calling at Ogilvy, where he went on to revolutionise the way India spoke to itself.
Pandey joined a field dominated by English and high-end aesthetics at the age of 27. His art that spoke to the people's language broke the mould. Indian popular culture was influenced by advertisements such as Asian Paints' "Har khushi mein rang laaye," Cadbury's "Kuch Khaas Hai," Fevicol's famous "Egg" movie, and Hutch's pug commercial.
His natural sense of humour and narrative ability enabled him to transform ads into windows into Indian culture. According to a long-time colleague, "He changed more than just the language of Indian advertising." "He modified its grammar."

Reluctant legend
Pandey maintained his groundedness in spite of his lofty notoriety. He frequently referred to himself as a team player instead of a celebrity. He once remarked, "A Brian Lara cannot win for the West Indies alone." "So who am I?"

Ogilvy India rose to become one of the world's most prestigious agencies under his direction. For promoting Indian creativity on the international scene, he and his brother Prasoon Pandey were the first Asians to win the Lion of St. Mark, the Cannes Lions' lifetime achievement award, in 2018.