Piyush Pandey died on Thursday, October 24, 2025, at 5:50 AM. He was 70 years old. The news hit the Indian advertising world like losing a family member – because for four decades, that’s exactly what he was.
His sister, actress and singer Ila Arun, confirmed he died from pneumonia complications. But what actually stopped was something bigger – the voice that taught India how to talk to itself through advertising.
The Man Who Made India Smile Through Ads
If you’ve lived in India anytime in the past 40 years, you’ve absorbed Piyush Pandey’s work without even realizing it. His campaigns didn’t interrupt your life. They became part of it.
“Kuch Khaas Hai”
Cadbury’s 1994 cricket celebration ad that made chocolate synonymous with joy. A girl runs onto the cricket field when her boyfriend hits a six, dancing with spontaneous abandon.
“Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai”
Asian Paints’ iconic campaign proving that walls tell stories. The campaign was so powerful that Asian Paints revived it in 2023.
Fevicol’s “Todo Nahin, Jodo”
Fevicol becoming India’s answer to “that’s solid.” The adhesive brand’s humorous ads showed crowded buses holding together and became a cultural metaphor for India itself.
Vodafone ZooZoo ads
ZooZoo ads for Vodafone that turned abstract telecom features into quirky characters everyone loved.
“Ab ki Baar, Modi Sarkar”
the 2014 political slogan that became a household phrase and helped sweep an election. Watch a compilation of his iconic ads here
These weren’t just ads. They became India’s cultural vocabulary.
The Awards That Proved Global Recognition
First Asian to receive the Lion of St. Mark at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in 2018 – advertising’s lifetime achievement honor.
Padma Shri in 2016 – one of India’s highest civilian honors.
Every major advertising award you can think of, accumulated over 40+ years at Ogilvy.
But here’s what mattered more than the trophies:
his work stayed in public memory long after campaigns ended.
What Made Him Last Four Decades
In an industry obsessed with trends, data, and metrics, Pandey held onto something unfashionable: emotion.
When Asian Paints relaunched one of his campaigns in 2023, he said: “There is no measurement of such things. If it touches you, it touches you”.
That philosophy kept him relevant through decades of change. While agencies chased ROI and performance marketing, Pandey reminded everyone that ads that touch hearts create value you can’t measure immediately but lasts forever.
The Tributes That Captured His Legacy
Fevicol’s powerful front-page tribute featured just his signature moustache on a blank background – a fitting homage to the man who believed in the power of simplicity.
Amul’s topical creative read “Inka sur sabse mila” (His tune resonated with everyone) – capturing Pandey’s ability to strike a chord with every Indian. Watch the industry’s tribute video
The Uncomfortable Truth About His Passing
Indian advertising will continue. Agencies will make campaigns. Awards will be won. But something essential has been lost – the belief that advertising can be an art form that reflects a nation’s soul while selling products.
Pandey represented a generation that entered advertising when it was still considered a creative profession, not just a business function. He stayed long enough to see it transform into data-driven, performance-obsessed, ROI-measured communication.
Whether Indian advertising can maintain that balance between art and commerce without him remains the industry’s biggest question.
Conclusion
Piyush Pandey didn’t just make ads. He made India feel seen, heard, and celebrated through brand communication. He took advertising from boardrooms to street corners, from English to Hindi, from aspirational to authentic.
Every marketer who believes a brand can have a soul, every creative who thinks emotion matters more than metrics, every campaign that dares to make people feel something – they all carry forward Piyush Pandey’s legacy.
The voice of Indian advertising has gone silent. But what he said over four decades will echo for generations.
Rest in peace, Piyush Pandey. You made India laugh, cry, remember, and most importantly – feel understood.
