Piyush Pandey: Always a man of ideas with that Indian touch

Recently I read in one of the online media that the language campaign started as early as in the early 80’s. Yes, that is true and many campaigns came from the house of Hindustan Lever in those days as the client itself insisted the agency think in Hindi. In the good old days, we also had Pandit Vinod Sharma as a consultant to Ogilvy who helped in ideating in Hindi.

But it was Piyush who took the whole concept of thinking in Hindi and regional language to a different level. Also, it was not just about thinking in Hindi but the campaigns were based on strong ideas that touched the hearts of millions across the country.

I would like to pen down the early campaigns written and thought by Piyush, which excited the clients. ‘Chal meri Luna’ for Luna mopeds, ‘Aapka haath aur rath ka saath’ for Rath Vanaspati, ‘Swaad alag, baat alag’ for Cadbury’s Eclairs, ‘Lambi race ka ghoda’ for Kinetic Spark, ‘Rangon mein shaan, safedi mein jaan’ for Sunlight Detergent Powder, ‘Dil Ki baat’ for Britannia and ‘Laakh dukhoon ki ek dawa’ for Johnson & Johnson Capsicum Plaster.

This was just the beginning when Piyush took the creative mantle in the late 80s at Ogilvy and the rest was history as he built a plethora of brands, which not only boosted sales but also won many awards.

What makes Piyush stand out is his deep commitment to the brand and his passion for delivering creatives that alter consumer behaviour. He had the knack of bringing that Indianness with unique and strong ideas effortlessly and with utmost ease. What’s more, the ideas were simple and strong. He is a tough competitor and never believed in giving up. Campaigns may get rejected but here Piyush will take a fresh guard and come out with more new ideas that will win the client’s heart. And this unique character of Piyush helped in building the faith and credibility with every client. Most of his success has been because of his immense self-belief that gave his work an original touch and a distinct voice and personality that stood tall and beat the clutter.

Leadership came to him naturally and that is partially because he played cricket with some of India’s best cricketing talent. His liking for cricket also made him a great team player and motivated all his team members, which is why today when he is going to play the role of advisor there is a strong creative leadership team which will continue to carry the baton to produce some great work.