The most popular ad man in India is no more. He was celebrated because he had the rare ability to connect with the minds of the common man. Yes, he was the one who discovered that the true power of advertising lies in the common man.
When asked about his mentor, he once mentioned about a marriage broker who had put up signboards reading 'Rishte Rishte' across the streets he often travelled. The curiosity kept on going for some time before he revealed his service. That day, Pandey learned that the secret of communication lies in keeping people hooked by arousing curiosity. Hence, he often said that he 'learnt advertising from the streets.'
Reasons for His Success
Observation was the primary reason behind his success. When it came to reading, he preferred only the right books, but he saw the entire world around him as an open book. He always sought the deeper meaning in his observations, guided by an honest and open mind. He reminded us that to be successful, one must stay sincere to their own instincts, where pretension and hypocrisy have no place. This is especially true in the creative world. No pretensions can carve out creativity, as it must come straight from the heart.
The Cadbury ad is a classic example of how he revealed the softer side of humans. It changed the brand’s fate and added a golden feather to its legacy. Interestingly, the ad wasn’t backed by deep market research but simple strategic understanding of the audience. He simply built on the brief to position Cadbury as a chocolate for adults, and the iconic line “Kuch Khass Hai…,” was born ,when he was on a flight. The ad triggered a change in consumption pattern of chocolates and broke the taboo of women expressing freely. Pandey always believed that big data would help in getting the right direction.
His success was also rooted in his innate ability to sense the spark in everyday moments a gift perhaps written in his DNA, fueled by his eagerness to constantly learn. Observe, listen, respect, and express were the principles he lived by. He laughed loudly, cried openly, as we all witnessed during his emotional speech in Kochi in 2019 during the IAA conference. Indeed, he always wore his emotions proudly on his sleeve.
The Quality of a Good Creative
The advantage of connecting with an audience emotionally is that the message remains relevant across generations as emotions are universal , anytime, anywhere. The 2021 Cadbury ad, which swapped the male and female characters from the original, proved this beautifully.
For Piyush Pandey, good creatives kept people curious, kept them “on the hook,” so much so that they would start asking, “When is the next one coming?” He believed in the repeat value of great communication, when people themselves begin to talk about it. The Vodafone ZooZoo ads were a perfect illustration of this. When the client worried about investing heavily in IPL, knowing people often switched channels during breaks, Pandey came up with the idea of the quirky, egg-headed white creatures, the ZooZoos, backed by humorous and engaging stories. Similarly, at a time when telecom brands were focused on showcasing technology, he made the Hutch brand endearing through the memorable pug campaign.
The Polio Eradication campaign also worked because of a simple yet powerful idea. When officials hesitated about Amitabh Bachchan’s harsh tone, Pandey stood his ground, resulting in the now-famous line: “Shame on you if you didn’t go to the polio booth. You’re playing with your child’s life.” The campaign went on to produce tangible results across the nation.
Likewise, the Fevikwik ad featuring a fisherman transformed the product from a mere commodity into a beloved consumer brand. And once again, the Google Reunion film showed his ability to connect technology with emotion, conveying that Google is more than a search engine; it connects people and their feelings.
It’s no surprise he often said, 'If your ad doesn’t move people, it hasn’t communicated.'
Understanding the Indian Pulse
Creating national campaigns in a country as diverse as India is no easy feat. His success lay in his ability to capture cultural nuances that resonated with everyone. Even though many of his communication ideas used moderate exaggeration and a touch of humour to enhance recall, they always stayed authentic, and never crossed the line of emotional truth. He believed in the intelligence of the consumer and in the power of genuine emotion.
The Making of Piyush Pandey
While understanding the making of the Piyush Pandey we know today, we must thank his parents, who were eager to get him admitted to St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, ensuring he would be in good company to dream big. Not surprisingly, he was classmates with notable figures like Shashi Tharoor, Arun Lal, Ramachandra Guha, and Rajinder Amarnath.
We must also thank Suresh Mallick, the then NCD at Ogilvy, who saw something special in him and encouraged him to move from client servicing to copywriting. Let us strike to be like them, both in our professional and personal lives, as people who recognize and nurture talent.
A global, process-oriented organization like Ogilvy found a creative master in someone who believed deeply in personal observation is an apt testament to the class of the man. They eventually made him the Global Creative Director, with terms that considered his convenience, and that sealed all debates about his worth.
All views expressed are personal.
