The Man Behind India’s Most Memorable Ads Has Passed Away But His Lessons Will Live On

Hey Munchies,

This week feels heavy because we didn’t just lose an adman, we lost a legend. Piyush Pandey passed away at 70 and for anyone who grew up watching ads in India, this feels like the end of an era.

He wasn’t just someone who wrote copy or made campaigns, he was someone who taught India how to feel through advertising. Before him, ads tried to sound polished and Western. Then came this man with a big moustache and an even bigger heart who flipped the rulebook.

He made us laugh with Fevicol, he made us cry with Cadbury, he made our homes feel a little brighter with Asian Paints. Every ad had a heart, every line had honesty, and somehow he turned ordinary people into heroes of their own stories.

He loved cricket, he loved people, and he loved India, and he poured all of that into his work. You could feel it, you could laugh at it, you could cry at it, and in doing so he made all of us believe that creativity is not about clever lines or decks, it is about honesty, empathy, and joy.

Today we just want to say thank you for the laughter, for the lessons, and for showing us that stories rooted in truth and heart travel further than any ad ever could. The jod you built with India will never tutega, and every time we see something that makes us smile, laugh, or feel proud of our own stories, we will remember you. We will try to tell our stories like you told yours, and maybe just maybe, that will keep a little bit of your magic alive.