Piyush Pandey


Piyush Pandey has been promoted to Chief Creative Officer Worldwide and Executive Chairman India, Ogilvy. This new role became effective in January 2019. The Government of India awarded him the civilian honor of the Padma Shri in 2016. Under his leadership, Ogilvy India has been ranked the No.1 Agency for 12 consecutive years in the Agency Reckoner, an independent Marketing & Advertising Survey conducted by The Economic Times and Brand Equity.

Early life and education

Pandey was born in Jaipur in 1955 and played for the Ranji Trophy. He worked as a tea taster.
Pandey studied at St. Xavier's School, Jaipur and has an MA from St Stephen's College, Delhi. He is a Post Graduate in History from the University of Delhi. He is the brother of singer Ila Arun and Prasoon Pandey.

Career

Pandey joined Ogilvy as an Account Director but was soon identified as someone with potential in creative so he was moved to the creative department at Ogilvy. Three years later he was promoted to creative director, and then to national creative director. Pandey was nominated to the board of directors in 1994.
During his tenure Ogilvy & Mather became the largest advertising agency in India, and Ogilvy India is considered one of the most creative offices in the Ogilvy worldwide network. In September 2006, Pandey was nominated to the Ogilvy Worldwide board. He mentors creative executives from around the world at the Berlin School of Creative Leadership.

Advertising campaigns and contributions

Notable ad campaigns in India designed by Pandey include:
He wrote the Indian patriotic song "Mile Sur Mera Tumhara" for the National Literacy Mission Programme in 1988 and co-wrote the screenplay for Bhopal Express.

Acting

Pandey appeared in the John Abraham and Nargis Fakhri film Madras Cafe as a cabinet secretary and in Magic Pencil Project videos.

Awards and achievements

Pandey has won a number of awards. He was named the most influential man in Indian advertising for eight consecutive years by The Economic Times. In 2000, the Ad Club of Mumbai voted his commercial for Fevikwik the commercial of the century and his work for Cadbury the campaign of the century.
Pandey was voted Asia's Creative Person of the Year at the Media Asia Awards 2002. He is the only Indian to win a double gold at Cannes and a triple grand prize at the London International Awards. During Pandey's tenure, O&M India won 25 lions at Cannes. In 2002, he won India's first Silver Pencil at The One Show Awards.
He was invited to be a jury member on the 2000 Clio Awards, at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival and was the first Asian jury president for outdoor and press and film at the 2004 Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. He was invited to judge the 2007 Asia Pacific Advertising Festival Awards. Pandey received a lifetime achievement award in 2010 from the Advertising Agencies Association of India.
Piyush Pandey won a Clio Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding work and creative achievements in 2012
The Government of India awarded him the civilian honour of the Padma Shri in 2016.
In June 2018, Piyush Pandey and his brother Prasoon Pandey won the Lions lifetime achievement award of St Mark at Cannes Advertising Festival, France.
WPP agency Ogilvy on Wednesday promoted Piyush Pandey, executive chairman and creative director, Ogilvy South Asia, as its worldwide chief creative officer.
By this move, the company filled up a key position that was lying vacant since the exit of its erstwhile creative head Tham Khai Meng in July. The appointment takes effect from 1 January.