Veteran commentator Harsha Bhogle bid farewell to Ad guru Piyush Pandey by posting a emotional note on social media. Pandey passed away on Friday,October 24 at the age of 70 years after a month in a coma .
Bhogle in his post wrote, "Piyush Pandey entered a profession that spoke in beautifully nuanced English aur usko apni zubaan ka khubsoorat zaika pesh kiya. He flew high in the advertising world par kadam is sanskriti se alag kabhi nahi hue. He could take on layered communication needs aur usko itni aasaani se suljhaya ke hum sab waah kehte reh gaye. If you want to leave a mark in your profession, to Piyush Pandey bano. Advertising ka gold mohur. Goodbye my friend. Alvida."
Piyush Pandey's career
Born in Jaipur, Piyush Pandey’s first got into advertising when he and his brother Prasoon lent their voices to radio jingles for everyday products. Pandey began his advertising career in 1982 with Ogilvy & Mather India (now Ogilvy India) as a trainee account executive before transitioning to the creative department.
Before joining Ogilvy in 1982, he ventured into playing cricket to tea tasting and even construction work. It was at Ogilvy that he really found his footing. At 27 he had already begun working for brands like Asian Paints (“Har khushi mein rang laaye"), Cadbury (“Kuch Khaas Hai"), Fevicol, and Hutch.
He also made history as the first Asian jury president at the Cannes Film Festival in 2004. He later received the CLIO Lifetime Achievement Award (2012) and the Padma Shri, becoming the first person from Indian advertising to be so honoured.
