Piyush Pandey was a living institution in communication: Sudarshan Banerjee

I once invited Piyush to speak on “Branding and Reputation” at an AIMA conference, and he ended up talking only about Ogilvy adverts that didn’t work, followed by a lively debate.

That was the typical Piyush—grounded, humble, and a living institution in communication.

I first met Piyush in Mumbai during my Kodak days. I was immediately impressed by his candour and profound knowledge of advertising, delivered with humour; he instinctively knew how to connect, with no agenda.

We continued meeting at conferences and ad clubs, sharing notes and learning about his large family and his humble, small-city–rooted values and beliefs.

He told me he had wished to play competitive cricket (for the Rajasthan Ranji Team) but drifted into the advertising world, influenced by his family, which he called a “Creative Factory.”

We truly connected when Hutchison Telecom selected Ogilvy to manage our communication and branding. I was part of the engagement team, and we were deeply impressed by the team’s approach to technically complex issues.

The memorable “Boy and Dog” campaign remains one of the finest advertisements in the world.

Piyush once addressed about 2,000 students at Siri Fort Auditorium, along with Shunu Sen of Unilever, during the Hutch brand launch in Delhi. His connection with the audience was remarkable—direct, honest, and scintillating.

He was one of India’s finest storytellers, touching hearts in every narrative (I was particularly impressed with Kodak’s tagline calling him “India’s Storyteller”). Most of his adverts were masterclasses in storytelling, weaving magic with insights drawn from the lives of ordinary people.

Piyush believed in ideas and instincts, and in the power of empathy and storytelling as the essence of communication. His classic words over a drink: “I didn’t study advertising; I just keep redefining it.”

Piyush may no longer be with us, but millions, like me, will be eternally grateful to have known him and learned from him.