The Ad Man Who Taught India to Sell With Soul: Business Lessons From Piyush Pandey’s Playbook
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
You’re reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
Veteran adman and The Padma Shri awardee Piyush Pandey, the man who gave India its most memorable jingles and campaigns, died in Mumbai on Friday. He was 70. He was the one who built the emotional grammar of Indian advertising for more than three decades. At Ogilvy, he didn’t just craft commercials, he crafted conviction. His legacy lives in lines that became part of everyday India: From Fevicol’s witty “Jor laga ke haisha” to Asian Paints’ “Har ghar kuch kehta hai,”
Pandey taught an entire generation that great brands don’t sell; they connect. Behind that creativity was a leadership philosophy that fused empathy with enterprise.
Leadership Rooted in Mentorship
Pandey’s office was less a corner suite and more a creative adda. He believed ideas could come from anyone, and often did. It is believed that he handed ownership of big campaigns to young copywriters, often saying, “Go make mistakes, but make them your own.” That empowerment culture turned Ogilvy India into the country’s most resilient creative ecosystem. It produced campaigns like Fevicol’s “Bus” commercial, a metaphor for unity and loyalty, and Cadbury’s “Cricket Girl,” which redefined joy.
Entrepreneurial lesson: Pandey’s first lesson was to build teams that believe, not teams that obey. He believed that great leaders don’t manage talent; they multiply it.
Selling Dreams, Not Products
When Pandey wrote “Fevicol ka mazboot jod hai,” he was talking about relationships as much as adhesive. On the other hand, the famous Cadbury Dairy Milk “Cricket Girl” ad revived the brand’s sales while making it synonymous with celebration. He even turned paint into nostalgia when he created “Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai” for Asian Paints. Pandey’s genius lay in balancing creativity with an emotional impact. And when we are talking about his ads, how can we forget the Polio Drops “Do Boond Zindagi Ki” campaign that proved advertising could change behavior, not just budgets. He sold values before value packs.
For entrepreneurs, the takeaway is clear: emotion is the most profitable business strategy.
Empathy as the Competitive Edge
Pandey’s work always spoke in the language of the people. He believed in understanding a consumer, you must firsr understand a person. He built narratives grounded in Indian humour, warmth, and shared experience. His work for Lifebuoy during the Kumbh Mela encouraged hand-washing through religious rituals. He did not just sell the products through his ads; they sold self-belief as they were all about human truths. His campaign for the Election Commission: “Pehle Matdaan, Phir Jalpan”, encouraged a nation to vote.
Lesson: Empathy isn’t a soft skill, it’s a scalable strategy.
Takeaway: Pandey taught India’s creative and corporate leaders that authenticity sells better than aggression. His legacy reminds us that the most valuable brand equity is human trust and authenticity as they never go out of fashion.
Entrepreneur India salutes the legend who made India fall in love with advertising. Rest in peace, Piyush Pandey, and thank you for turning commercial breaks into moments of storytelling magic.
