Veteran artist Suresh Eriyat pays tribute to late advertising legend Piyush Pandey

Studio Eeksaurus founder and creative director Suresh Eriyat has paid a heartfelt tribute to Padma Shri award-winning creative visionary Piyush Pandey, who touched millions through his storytelling rooted in local language and emotion. In a moving social media post, Eriyat remembered his idol, always seen in his colourful floral shirts, surrounded by storytellers.

Eriyat, known for his ad campaigns such as Simpu, MTV Poga, Amaron Battery, Top Ramen Noodles, ICICI Chintamani, and Levi’s Stick Figure, first crossed paths with Pandey in the early 2000s. In his LinkedIn post, he recalled working on Cadbury Gems Thumbi at the time. “I couldn’t meet him then, but I saw him from a distance, moving from one table to another, talking to the creatives at the Ogilvy office.”

Their first close interaction came around 2008, when Prasoon Pandey was directing a film for the IPL and Eriyat’s team was designing its look, feel, and animation.

“That’s when he visited our studio for the first time. From then on, our paths crossed many times. He was always compassionate, friendly, and warm, even though I was constantly in awe of the man who had shaped the very language of Indian advertising,” Eriyat shared.

He went on to describe how Pandey never failed to offer his “undivided attention, genuine advice, and the right nudge at the right moment,” helping shape key creative decisions over the years.

“To me, he was someone who nurtured storytellers,” he wrote.

Regretting that he could not see Pandey’s mortal remains one last time, Eriyat expressed his grief through art. “I made a drawing today, sitting far away, thinking of him. Not able to have a final glimpse of his mortal remains, but remembering him deeply. The drawing shows him sheltering all of us storytellers and also the many brands that flourished under his creative care. He nurtured an ecosystem where creativity thrived despite every constraint, keeping storytelling at the heart of Indian advertising.”

In another drawing, Eriyat captured the late adman’s “loud laughter, the heavy pat on the back, and that powerful handshake.”

“I always picture him in his colourful floral shirts, surrounded by storytellers. To me, he was that flower that nurtured a field full of storytellers, who continue to go out and create waves of inspiring work rooted in his spirit,” he concluded.

Piyush Pandey, who redefined the language and emotion of Indian advertising, passed away on 24 October 2025, at the age of 70. He will be remembered for his timeless campaigns, including Todo Nahi, Jodo (Fevikwik), Googly Woogly Woosh (Ponds), Kuch Khaas Hai (Cadbury Dairy Milk), and Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai (Asian Paints).

Pandey joined Ogilvy & Mather in 1982 as an account executive, initially working with clients and numbers rather than ideas. But before long, he transitioned into the creative department and the rest, as they say, is history.