Piyush Pandey: The Man Who Made India Smile

Oct 27, 2025 - India deeply mourns the loss of ad guru and creative visionary Piyush Pandey who passed away on October 24 leaving behind an unforgettable legacy.  He was suffering from pneumonia complications. His death may have left a huge void in the world of Indian advertising but his legacy will remain forever echoing in each ad which he took into every home, touching human sensibilities and redefining storytelling with humour and clever wordplay. His ads were witty and emotionally real and spoken in a language which deeply resonated with the Indian audiences.

Pandey believed in just telling a story. He was known to say that if the story was liked by the people they would remember the product, too. Therefore, the purpose behind each story that he wove was not to sell the product but to touch the emotions of the everyday common man through relatable imagery and in his language.

Pandey’s creative genius not only celebrated life through his ads but also attempted to drive real social change as was seen with Pulse Polio, Mile Sur Mera Tumhara and anti-smoking initiatives with the Cancer Patients Association. Plus influence voting through Abki Baar Modi Sarkar. He humanised Indian advertising by weaving emotion, humour and realism into campaigns that connected deeply with everyday Indians.

Let us take a look at some of the iconic ads created by this genius who infused Indian-ness into the soul of advertising in our country.

Cadbury Dairy Milk – Kuch Khaas Hai…Kuch Baat Hai

This 1994 advertisement of a girl leaping onto the cricket field in a free-spirited celebratory dance with a chocolate bar in hand after a boy hits a winning six will always be considered a top favourite among the classics from Pandey. Through this legendary campaign, he ended the long-drawn perception that chocolate was only for kids and instead established the symbol of a new India that was ready to express joy in public without inhibitions.

Fevicol - Yeh Fevicol Ka Jod Hai, Tutega Nahi

In 2019, Fevicol celebrated its 60th anniversary through a 90-second advertisement created by Pandey which showed the journey of a sofa across six decades of life in India, underlining its emotional and material durability and showcasing the journey of 60 years of Fevicol. Pandey explained that for him Fevicol was not merely an adhesive but a cultural glue that salutes the people of India and this was the emotion he wanted to bring out through his ad.

Chal Meri Luna

This ad for Kinetic Luna was one of the early ones by Pandey and showcases his creative brilliance by highlighting his aversion to hard selling. He used simple, rooted vernacular pitch of kharcha kam, mazbooti zyada and created an ad that struck a chord with the target audience and established him as an adman for everyday Indian audiences.

Mile Sur Mera Tumhara

This six-minute national integration anthem written by Pandey in 1988 quickly became one of India’s most iconic patriotic songs. Through this song, Pandey struck the chord of “unity in diversity” echoing through millions of homes and celebrating the country’s linguistic, cultural and regional diversity. The creation was produced by Lok Seva Sanchar Parishad and Doordarshan and featured legendary personalities from different regions — including Bhimsen Joshi, Lata Mangeshkar, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Hema Malini, Prakash Padukone and several others — singing in various Indian languages.

Asian Paints - Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai

Through the Merawala Blue ad in the 1990s and Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai in 2002, Pandey pushed the commodity from a paint into a storyteller emphasising that each home is not just bricks and mortar but has a story to tell. The genius adman incorporated this insight into his creation giving it emotional depth and ensuring that it strikes the right target – the house owner and not the builder.

Pulse Polio

The powerful tagline coined by Pandey - Do Boond Zindagi Ke - became an iconic message that spread to every home and, alongwith Amitabh Bachchan’s screen presence, it pushed parents to visit nearby booths for the free vaccination. This ad, aimed at eradicating polio in India through mass immunisation drives, is considered one of India’s most memorable and impactful public health campaigns.

Abki Baar Modi Sarkar

The slogan Abki Baar Modi Sarkar coined by Pandey for the Bhartiya Janta Party before the 2014 general elections became a powerful catch line. The campaign’s focus was on Narendra Modi himself rather than the BJP and played a significant role in the run-up to the elections. It was used extensively on posters, rallies, print media, digital media and TV spots. The success of the campaign led the Modi team to re-use the catch line in 2019 with a modification saying Phir Ek Baar, Modi Sarkar.

More gems from Pandey include:

• Centre Fresh: Hila Ke Rakh De
• Airtel: Har Ek Friend Zaroori Hota Hai
• Vodafone: ZooZoo
• Bajaj: Hamara Bajaj
• Pond: Googly Woogly Woosh
• Vodafone Hutch — You and I, in this Beautiful World
• Fevikwik – Todo Nahin, Jodo
• Vicks – Vicks Ki Goli Lo, Khich Khich Door Karo
• Coca-Cola - Thanda Matlab Coca Cola

From Mile Sur Mera Tumhara to Do Boond Zindagi Ki, Piyush Pandey redefined Indian advertising with emotion, humour and human connection and inspired generations. 

Amul aptly paid a tribute to the man who revolutionised Indian advertising with its iconic topical creative that read Inka Sur Sabse Mila, thus highlighting the unmatched ability of this Father of Indian Advertising to strike a chord with every Indian.

RIP, Piyush Pandey!

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