'I often asked Piyush why he never took credit for ‘Ab Ki Baar Modi Sarkar’': Piyush Goyal

A week after the passing of the unparalleled visionary Piyush Pandey, Ogilvy India came together in a moving tribute to honor a man whose work reshaped the very fabric of Indian advertising. The gathering united generations of colleagues and friends who admired not just his creative brilliance but the man behind it, someone who was family to many, a source of strength and unwavering support.

Among the evening’s poignant moments was the invitation extended to Piyush Goyal, Honourable Union Minister of Commerce and Industries, a close friend who shared not only his name but a special bond marked by shared milestones. Goyal’s reflections offered an intimate glimpse into the personal side of a legend-  a story that was a testament to persistence, love, and a spirit that inspired all who knew him.

Looking back on their journey together, Goyal says, “I don't know where to begin, because he was not a friend, he was family. The love, the affection, all that he taught me over the many years that we've known each other come to mind as I remember him.

But he was a very difficult guy, I must say. I remember in 2014, when we wanted him to help run the campaign to come into government, he just flatly refused. Days of wooing and trying to persuade him didn’t yield any results. I finally ended up at his home in Shivaji Park one evening, Nita wasn’t there. It was just him, me, and a dog. For about six, seven hours, I kept persuading him, refusing to leave his home, but he still said no. I came back disappointed, but he understood how unhappy I was.

The next day, early morning, he calls me up, “Partner, I thought a lot in the night, I will do it. The country needs it.” He would normally never do political campaigns, but this one he took on as a responsibility for the country. My wife and I will never ever forget the days and nights we spent together in Delhi. Of course, Seema would never allow him to smoke inside our house, so she would throw him out of the house into the lawns. But the actual fight between them was just like that of brother and sister.

But he would never change. I still remember the Eureka moment on the lawn at Pandhara Park. He came up with the slogan, ‘Ab ki baar Modi Sarkar.’ And he created history. Many people often took credit for creating that slogan. I used to get really angry about it. I even asked Piyush, “Why don’t you speak up about it?” He said, “Friend, what difference does it make? Let whoever wants to take the credit, have it. At least you know, and Modiji knows, that’s enough.”

I remember, a lot of people were coming up with different ideas, different thoughts. But, when Prime Minister Modi, the then Chief Minister of Gujarat, heard it for the first time, he spontaneously recognized that this will resonate. Simple, brief, to the point, conveying a powerful message in just four words. Even for someone like me, it’s hard to fully capture the essence of a man whose soul was so pure and transformational. Over the years, we worked on many ideas together. When I was nominated for the Lok Sabha, the very first call I made was to him, asking, “What shall I do? No one knows me here.” But he was always there for me, my family, and for all of us.

“Keep it simple, keep it short, connect with the people,” he said. One of the learnings he gave me was: think in Hindi if you want to work in India, if you want to connect with the people of India. In a way, the Western creative thought process versus his way of connecting with the people, he won the match. I remember, about a year later, I came up with a program for energy efficiency. He was so passionate about the country, he told me, “Piyush, you have done a good job,” and gave me two films. As he wrote in Pandeymonium, “Don’t let the child in you ever die because he’s the genius, you’re not.” He actually used children in two short films on energy efficiency and energy saving- ‘Batti Buzao, Bijli Bachao’. He said it was so simple, which resonates with a common man, he explained, “Partner, in childhood, when we used to come out of our room, mothers would slap us if we did not switch off the button.” Simple message, and it spoke a thousand words.

He was a person who felt close to every one of us here, across the nation and around the world, someone everyone could connect with. Everyone felt deeply a part of his life. For all of us here, he brought a big smile, a big heart of gold, and lots of love. He even learned mosaic art with Nita in Italy, that much of a loving husband he was. Of course, maybe not the best role model for other husbands. But he was a fun man, always there for you. And that’s why we only need to celebrate his life because he was a person who didn’t know what sorrow was. He lived every single moment of his life on his own terms, surrounded by the people he loved. Remembering his good days in Jaipur, he would often tell me about all the good days he had with his family, especially with his sisters and brother Prasoon. And, each of his life’s experiences came alive through his advertising, work and passion of serving the nation with great distinction.

If you remember, the polio ad, 'Do Boond Zindagi Ke', and the Fevicol ad, every campaign of his was unforgettable, each one with deep messaging that you could go on and on about. Who could ever beat that?

Friends, this is a big personal loss for me, for my family, for the country and for the world of advertising. He leaves behind, in the sands of time, a message of love and a passion for what is right for his country. He was a spirit that never knew what failure was, a spirit that never dies. We all pray for his happiness, wherever it is. We are all with you, Nita- anytime, anywhere, anything. And to all of you, we are together as we remember Piyush, our dear friend, our brother. My God, look at those eyes, they say it all.”