Yesterday, while reading The Times of India, I came across a beautiful full-page tribute to Padma Shri Piyush Pandey.
Later that evening, as I drove through Edappally in Kochi, I noticed a billboard paying homage to him — and it instantly took me back in time.
As a 90s kid, his ads were a huge part of our childhood. The Fevicol ads that made us chuckle, the Cadbury Dairy Milk girl dancing on the cricket field, the warm Sunlight detergent stories and of course, my all-time favorite, the FeviQuick ad. I even shared the FeviQuick ad recently on my LinkedIn, just to relive that genius storytelling.
As someone who began my career working in ad films as an assistant director,and now works as an SMM expert in Kochi as well as a performance marketer, I’ve always admired how storytelling can go beyond selling how it can connect deeply with people.
And no one understood that better than Piyush Pandey.
He wasn’t just an ad man; he was a storyteller who believed that ideas don’t live inside conference rooms or PowerPoint decks they live out there, in the streets, among people, in everyday chaos.
In one of his books, he wrote,
“The best ideas come from the street, from life, from listening.”
That line has always stayed with me. Because creativity truly breathes in the moments we observe quietly, in the people we meet, and in the experiences that move us.
He also reminded us that,
“The more insecure you are about your idea, the less you share it.”
That thought is so relevant even today whether you’re creating marketing campaigns, running social media content, or optimizing digital ads as a performance marketer.It’s a reminder to let go of fear, share openly, and allow ideas to grow beyond ourselves.
Personally, my favorite work of his will always be the Fevicol campaign witty, rooted, and brilliantly Indian. I even shared one of those iconic ads recently on my Instagram as a small tribute to the man who taught us that great ideas come from life itself.
Piyush Pandey’s legacy is much larger than the ads he created. He taught a generation of creators, marketers, and dreamers to stay grounded, to listen more than they speak, and to find inspiration in the world around them.
As a digital marketer, performance marketer, and storyteller based in Kochi, I see his influence every day in how brands try to connect authentically, in how we listen to our audiences, and in how we strive to tell stories that truly stick.
For us 90s kids, his work is pure nostalgia a reminder of simpler times, beautiful stories, and the power of an idea well told.
