Tell us what you think of the new afaqs! design
Ian's being crafted from a first-
thought into something good.
This is not an interview centred around the creative genius of Piyush Pandey. Instead, it is a conversation with the executive chairman and creative director, Ogilvy South Asia. Allow us to explain the difference.
For years now, Ogilvy has maintained its reputation as arguably the country's most creative agency. And it's not just about awards or big impactful campaigns, many of the top creative directors across agencies have at some time or the other worked at Ogilvy India - and under (or with) Piyush: Josy Paul (BBDO India), Prasoon Joshi (McCann Erickson), Pushpinder Singh (Saints & Warriors), Ramanuj Shastry (Saatchi & Saatchi), Sagar Mahabaleshwarkar (Rediffusion-Y&R), Sonal Dabral (Bates 141), V Sunil (Wieden & Kennedy) are some of the obvious names. Ogilvy is the informal school of Indian advertising which continues to produce not just big campaigns but create big names as well.
Marrying creative with discipline to make a viable business is a tough act. How does Piyush maintain the balance? What drives executives in the non-'creative' departments at Ogilvy India to stay on? And is there a particular approach that Piyush takes in dealing with creative people? Why is Ogilvy an agency in which people end up spending much of their working lives?
In answering these questions, Piyush was straightforward. His answers seem simple, and sometimes obvious, but remember that he has walked the talk. He successfully oversees a company with 1,200 employees (including 300 in the creative department) that is the envy of many. And in any case, the commonsensical way of running a company is probably the best way of going about it. Excerpts:
afaqs!: Describe O&M the way it was when you joined.
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PP: I joined in 1982. Suresh Mullick was the creative spark at Ogilvy back then. But the focus on creative - to make creative your lead weapon - didn't exist. Agencies like Rediff and Lintas were seen as creative at that time. The turning point came when Ranjan (Kapur) joined us (in 1994 as MD).
afaqs!: Since we are trying to understand work culture, just out of curiosity: what did your Bombay office look like?
PP: It was difficult to hire people because of the way our office looked! We had old wooden furniture, files piled up, and in between the files you could see some faces (laughs). It was a huge hall with only three windows on one side, so it was dimly lit at the centre. Ah, it was quite shoddy, even though it was in a nice location.
'Flair' wasn't an important word at Ogilvy. Our priorities were different. We were an agency with solid middle-class values. It was only when Ranjan came in that we redid the office for the first time.
Let's not be too critical, though. There were so many constraints imposed by the landlord that we weren't allowed to even repair the leakages. There's a story of a big leakage in Suresh's room during a downpour. When our admin person spoke to the Apeejay guy to do something, he, frowning upon the low rents we paid, replied, "Isse pani nahi toh kya doodh tapkega?" ("What, do you expect it to leak milk rather than water?")
afaqs!: What were your first impressions of Ogilvy?
PP: I was 27 and fascinated by the thought of writing ads but because I had no portfolio, I had to do the job of an account executive. Despite the limitations, O&M in India was a solid agency. This brought about a friendly, honest working environment. And it was non-hierarchical. An account trainee could find Mani (Iyer, the then agency head) walk up to him and say, "Boy, what are you doing for lunch? Come, I'll take you out." No one needed an appointment to meet Ranjan. Suresh would take you home and feed you.
Flair can be superficial. Ogilvy had depth - depth of relationships, and sincerity towards clients at the risk of looking mediocre.
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afaqs!: Was the issue one of Ogilvy being middle class, or did the times themselves not encourage anyone to stand out?
PP: If you see the public perception in the '80s, Ogilvy was seen as solid but boring. Now who was it seen boring by? Potential employees, which means it wasn't just the times: some agencies had flair even if it was hollow flair but they had it.
In hindsight I can say that it was by design and not by chance that Mani kept Ogilvy the way it was. Mani was very clear on how he wanted the company to be. He, in his style, was a complete contrast to Alyque Padamsee. Mani had little faith in showbiz, he wanted to be simple, sincere and solid.
In later years, Ranjan brought about this philosophy that we will do both great work as well as maintain our middle class values. He said that we have to make our creative product at the centre of things. We were very proud of who we were. Ranjan called us the Boy Scouts agency, as we never wore ties. We used to walk into Hindustan Lever in shirt and trousers (we were their newest agency) while others were in ties and suits. A lot of things have changed at Ogilvy, but the pride, belief and sincerity have stayed on.
afaqs!: Was it disconcerting when Ranjan took over from Mani and suggested a new way of looking at the business?
PP: It was old meets new and a decent handover of the baton. If there were differences, they were expressed behind closed doors. Ranjan had spent many years in Singapore, so culturally there was a disconnect when they worked together. But they quite maturely kept it away from us. Sure there must have been conflict, but they didn't let us, the future of the agency, know of it.
afaqs!: Is it necessary for bosses to seem to be in agreement all the time?
PP: No, not necessarily. Disagreement is a very positive thing: if it's an argument, then people obviously have their points of view, which is healthy. But if it is a conflict, then it is best kept behind closed doors.
afaqs!: So, what did Ranjan say?
PP: He said: we will be the biggest agency by the strength of our creative product. That was the first time it was underlined. It had never been stated before because, perhaps, we were fearful of being seen as superficial which is how we perceived some agencies. We were afraid of saying 'I'm beautiful'. In the later years, we became The Bold and the Beautiful! (Grins)
Ranjan took some bold decisions, including making me the Mumbai CD. We lost one or two people because of that but he told me, "I don't mind biting the bullet."
afaqs!: When Ranjan said that O&M would lead with the creative product, was he addressing the creative department alone?
PP: No, he was talking to everyone. People didn't understand these changes immediately but one thing was clear: this wasn't an assembly line system we were dealing with. Sometimes, intuition would step into the picture. People started understanding the change when we began coming up with the creative idea first and gave it the backbone of a strategy later. The culture began changing.
A few years down the line when I, a creative guy, was made the head of Mumbai, it was a huge signal to people that Ranjan meant what he said. A creative guy heading operations was very rare in those days.
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afaqs!: Many people in Ogilvy have been around for years. Does it have to do with your being here?
PP: Ogilvy isn't just about me. Mani began his career from this agency and retired from here. Ranjan joined in his 20s and retired from here. Suresh, too, spent his entire 35-year career here. It was a place where people stayed. It is like a family to us, and accessibility to the top level is a big plus.
afaqs!: Would you say you are good with people?
PP: All I can say is that I don't like shouting at people - an arm around a shoulder is ten times more effective than giving hell to someone, be it the liftman. More often than not, it's about what people are capable of doing, and not what I do.
afaqs!: Speaking of capability, you recently identified two bright individuals ECDs Abhijit Avasthi and Rajiv Rao to head creative at Ogilvy India as NCDs. Tough identifying them, considering that you had four equally talented ECDs to choose from?
PP: Talent never has to be spotted. If you have it, it shows. And sometimes, it is so obvious, you cannot miss it. All the four individuals in question Abhijit Avasthi, Rajiv Rao, Anup Chitnis and Sumanto Chattopadhyay are equally talented. But an NCD post is not just about talent, it is also about an ability to lead.
Just because Sachin Tendulkar plays under MS Dhoni doesn't make him any less a player, but it's about who enjoys leading, and who can lead, that makes the difference.
afaqs!: If creative is at the heart of the agency, how do you keep and inspire the rest?
PP: Morale is maintained because we truly believe that creativity doesn't have to come from the creative department alone. It can come from servicing. The Vodafone Zoozoos '30 days, 30 commercials' idea, for instance, came entirely from Hephzibah Pathak who heads the Mumbai office.
At award shows and gatherings, you'll see Ogilvy's entire team dressed in black. It isn't just the creative guys present to cheer. We have our servicing team, our tea boys, our media guys, everyone mingling as one family. Our first Gold Lion at Cannes, by the way, was a Media Lion!
afaqs!: So, how would you describe your leadership style?
PP: I had decided that I wanted to be like Clive Lloyd (the West Indies cricket captain, 1974-85) - how he managed champions, champions with a mind of their own! "Let them flourish" was his motto, while making them feel that they are flourishing together. I'd rather be Clive than a Brian Lara who is all about great individual performances but not about winning matches.
afaqs!: How do you balance freedom and discipline, especially for the creative team?
PP: There is no special hand with which I deal with the creative department. It's just that they can be a little more sensitive and slightly more obstinate. But then I have to be like Ajantha Mendis (the Sri Lankan bowler) who changes his bowling style according to the batsman he is up against.
For example, people were scared of Roda Mehta because she used to fly at them. But you know, I had the most wonderful relationship with her. When you know someone is a certain kind of person, you have to adjust yourself accordingly.
In my early days, the office rules said that if you were late to office three times you don't get your lunch money. I could never subscribe to such thinking. There are ways of dealing with such people. You have to ask if the output is suffering.
I once called a guy who was coming in late and said to him that the perception about him is greater than his reality for one month, come in at 9:30 AM, I told him. Perceptions will change and then you can get back to the earlier life. And he did that. Coming late is not a problem to me, but keeping someone waiting is.
afaqs!: There are so many gifted young people. How do you identify talent?
PP: I didn't discover or 'find' anyone in the agency. They found themselves with their work, and their relationships. Our people are good enough to be NCDs anywhere. So many of our guys are heading agencies or are NCDs at places, or have even settled abroad to fill some big posts.
afaqs!: How does Ogilvy produce so much talent? Is it the way the agency is structured?
PP: We don't have a different structure, just a different way of working. I don't believe in the assembly line, I believe in the huddle. Gone are the days when the servicing guy brought in the brief and the creative fellow blamed him for something going wrong on account of poor briefing. Briefs are bounced off each other and evolved, not handed over. At Ogilvy, all key players, including the creative lot, go for client briefings. The ownership then becomes equal.
Despite being creatively charged, we haven't lost any servicing guys on account of creativity being at the centre of what we do. What do you think a servicing guy goes home and tells his wife: 'Hey, I wrote a great brief today!'? No, he leaps from the couch with equal enthusiasm and says, 'Hey, that Zoozoo's mine!' every time he sees it on TV. The Zoozoos are not owned by Rajiv Rao.
afaqs!: So is servicing a blurred area?
PP: No, what I'm saying is that the role of servicing has evolved from seller to contributor. Servicing guys are also becoming creative thinkers. It's like saying a good bowler can also be a good fielder, no? It doesn't make him a bad bowler if he is an excellent fielder as well.
afaqs!: Has it reached a point where good creative people automatically come to you?
PP: People line up to work at Ogilvy. It started happening after 1990. Sonal Dabral saw my work on Luna, Fevicol and Cadbury's and that influenced his joining us. I'll say on a general plane, our radical work on Cadbury (Kuchh Khaas Hai) in 1994 changed perceptions about our agency the youngsters started coming in after that.
afaqs!: Other agencies talk of Ogilvy as a one-man show...
PP: That talk really helped me because it kept them occupied with something that wasn't true! (Laughs)
Ogilvy isn't a one-man show. Mani gave me some advice which was useful: "Surround yourself with people who have talents which you don't have." That has helped me. So Sonal (Dabral) had a finishing in art, a background I couldn't match. I came from a writing background. So I never tried my hand at art, and let him do all of that.
afaqs!: How do you ensure team work?
PP: There is a general way of working at the agency and while there is no O&M type of person, there are different types of persons who know how to be team players. I don't want clones of myself in the agency. Besides, each has enough of a portfolio today to not try and be me or feel insecure!
It hasn't always been smooth, of course. If an ECD doesn't get along with people, it comes through. If some chemistry isn't working, we switch teams, circulate people, give each other a try. Dealing with groupism is simple: don't over-tackle things. If there are issues, we try and resolve matters internally first. If the person in question still has a big problem with things, he'll move on.
afaqs!: To the crux: what drives creative folk?
PP: Seeing their ad on TV screens is No 1, undoubtedly. If someone meets a creative fellow and says 'Hi, I saw your ad last night and I loved it', his week is made. Fame comes in much later. When I was young I used to live in Andheri East. I didn't have a TV so I used to hop over to my neighbour's to see the ad breaks. The sheer thrill of seeing the first release of your ad - the joy of creation is the starting point and the ending point.
afaqs!: In hindsight, what would you say have been the best learnings for you personally?
PP: There's something to learn from everyone. I have learnt a lot from people: even my old Jeeves, Goshto, who passed away a few years ago. The man didn't know a word of English but he used to watch cookery shows in English. Often, when he didn't understand something, he used to take a risk and put in something of his own in the recipe. He taught me to be inquisitive, to be passionate, to fool around with things, to be brave to attempt something that hadn't been tried before.
afaqs!: Your shadow looms large over Ogilvy. Don't you worry about the agency after you?
PP: I have four or five more years at Ogilvy. Worry? Not really. The only thing I wouldn't want once I leave is of the agency falling into the trap of doing it Piyush style. It should always continue to be about the spirit of finding creative solutions to client needs.
© 2010 afaqs!From Chandralekha Dasgupta, Thu 07 Jan 2010 12:57:04 PM So true!!!...the interview is the absolute reflection of what it takes to be an icon in any field...n how a name can become synonymous to fame,respect along with power...as in 'Piyush Pandey' is synonymous with 'advertising icon'...along with the above mentioned values.
The article shows that with grit and passion to grow and with roots intact in terms of value,culture...one can walk a path that is not often trodden by many....but the one who has patience to walk the same path is definitely a winner as the road approaches its destination!!!...n acknowledging and remembering each one you meet during that journey...also counts to your success!!!...truley hats off to this iconic advertising ad guru!!!....
From sankalp Chandelkar, Wed 06 Jan 2010 10:29:30 AM Insightful and thought provoking interview
inspiring people inspiring lives at ogilvy india
From sanjay chauhan, Tue 05 Jan 2010 03:46:18 PM So called modern world - A war ground of ego's. Did not know this paradise existed where one gets paid to be what he/she is. Fantastic.
From Pavan Kumar, Tue 05 Jan 2010 12:59:03 PM Once in a while you come across an interview, a speech or an article that truly is a wake up call. As he says, success is about simplicity and getting the basics right. And I loved the way he justified choosing his NCDs and the parallels he draws to the cricketing game. And we discover that there is so much the corporate world can learn from other worlds esp the sporting world.
Bravo afaqs for a truly inspiring piece - I am sure it will 'wake up a lot of Sids'.
From nazim iqbal, Tue 05 Jan 2010 12:50:17 PM extremely engaging, candid and human.....Piyush had set a standard in advertising industry in India and taken it to places. Above all he will be know for getting back to the roots and showing how great ideas can come from Indian way of life and how impressive communication can happen even with rustic setting and minimalistic setups.
Unlike Alyque Padamshee or Mohammed Khan, Piyush will always be know to have inspired people around him to greatness. He has inspired a generation of creative folks and open the door of management to them.
In this work of jargon and management tactics it is reassuring to know that greatness is still powered by simplicity, relationship, passion, team work and an open mind to learn
From Ashish Dalvi, Thu 12 Nov 2009 07:16:14 PM This is really an inspiring article. And not just for creative wanting to work for Ogilvy. But even for entrepreneurs looking to setting up systems in business. The late comer's solution was simply fantastic. Shows Piyush's ability as a creative problem solver. I beg to differ with Anand Narsimha. Piyush is not just Saurav but Sachin as well. Thanks Piyush for being in advertising.
From Anky, Fri 06 Nov 2009 06:16:13 PM I believe I am the latest one to read this but I simply couldnt resist myself while i found this piece of update lying unopen in my mail. I have heard abotu Piyush Sir a lot but never showed keen interest but through this article I got an opportunity to know him. Thanx to afaqs. I am Ad student, But I always thought that things at agency do not work as we think here as students but after reading this I think at few agencies they do... I dont know where i will reach out but i would surely like to meet this Man one day who has the ability to bring about radical changes. Hope to See you one day Mr. Piyush Pandey and it wont be just for ur autograph.
From Dev Sablania, Mon 12 Oct 2009 10:19:40 PM That's the interview I want to see thanks afaqs! to have a interview with the legend of ad world. this is really inspiring. Now dieing to do job in O&M.
From Shruti, Tue 29 Sep 2009 01:01:37 PM I did my Summer internship from O&M, it was great to see people working day and night, so passionate about their piece of work, i got to see the functioning of all the departments, the classy lounge where my boss used to update me for the campaigns (although i was a full time jobless intern there, still enjoyed the observing people). I always wished to see THE STALWART, i managed to see him in the lift, it deepened, i wanted to talk to him, but he seemed too busy, can never forget that moment (seeing a idol is a heavenly feeling), feels great.
But yeah it's true Ogilvy works Piyush Style, totally out of Box.
From aajay k chauhan, Mon 28 Sep 2009 12:08:13 PM trust value commitment is the backbone of any business..and it takes inspiring leaders like him to create such success stories...life well spent ..i say:)
may god bless u with more of everything u want and so deserve
From PB, Thu 24 Sep 2009 05:32:43 PM Truly inspiring.
We need more leaders like him in the industry.
From Ashwin, Thu 24 Sep 2009 10:28:47 AM it was a like drinking a cup of refereshing tea in the morning. thanks PP & afaqs for making my day.
if you guys @ "O" are thinking of getting back the guru-shishya parampara then please accept me as your shishya. thanks so much for an awesome interview!
From the writer, Wed 23 Sep 2009 08:34:00 PM Here, this comes from a junior writer. I was a part of Ogilvy not too long ago. Sitting in a corner, thinking up ideas, writing copy day in and day out. Well, i don't know if i didn't have it in me but a few things did not work out (they don't always do, you know). One evening, i found myself at my desk, weeping in silence and insecurity because of a tiff with my creative director. And i wanted to write to piyush about the way i felt (that's how it had started, i had written to him when in college i wanted an internship). Nevertheless, i did not. I drafted it, but did not press the send button. Maybe i should have. I wanted to switch teams. Anyway, i've moved on but always felt that i want to give something back to ogilvy at some point in my life. Why? Because of all that i have learnt being there. Because of all that piyush has invested in it all these years to make it what it is...and his work and attitude that have inspired many along the way and will continue to do so.
Only every once in a while comes a man who turns things upside down and creates something so powerful and timeless, that it works like magic. Long live piyush's ideals and his infectious energy. Amen to that.
From Sanjai, Wed 23 Sep 2009 08:24:25 PM As always.. a great lesson in how to run an agency, not just for newcomers, but more importantly for people who think they have been there done that ! Keep it up Piyush! All the very best.. Love the cricket analogies.. maybe you should write a book called " Cricket & The Art of Agency Management' !
From shamit sinha, Wed 23 Sep 2009 07:21:42 PM ek eklavya aapki moorti banakar teer chalaana seekh raha tha...afsos Arjun nahi banaaye...kam se kam angootha maangne ke liye hi sahi, ek baar mil jaate...
From Sanju Ayyar, Wed 23 Sep 2009 06:32:26 PM When I was aN MBA student in Pune, but wanted to be a writer, Piyush had come to address Pune Ad Coincil's Seminar. With a student pass I managed to get in. The Seminar and the cocktails got done with but Piyush was not in sight. I spotted him by the poolside but didnt want to interrupt him, so waited till 1 am just to say 'Hi' to him and show him some work. He asked me to come for breakfast next morning at 9. I thought, ah! no use coming in the morning. But having nothing to lose, I turned up and was waiting at the lounge. Piyush walked up to me and said 'Boy, come along..tu kal raat ko kuch kaam dikhane wala tha, laaya hain na?' He's truly only eveolved ever since. And yes, he still replies to my mails, even hate-mails :-)
From Meghana, Wed 23 Sep 2009 05:55:35 PM To say in simple words.. reading this and understanding the work culture at O&M, I fell in love with O & M and if give an opportunity would love to work with Piyush Pandey. Just by going through the interview I got to learn so much, I believe there will be lot more to learn from him.. very influncing and educating interview...
From kans, Wed 23 Sep 2009 04:48:11 PM superb interview..... i luv piyush from my first day in advertising. he is in that level because of his approach only. wtg for a chance to work under him. hope after i win cannes, he will call me....
From Hanoz Patel, Wed 23 Sep 2009 04:37:12 PM This was really insightful, motivating and inspiring we all have witnessed as Ogilvyite.
Cheers!!
From Harold Paul, Wed 23 Sep 2009 04:19:49 PM We all love you Piyush, lead us the younger generation in understanding the simplicity in the values of our elders, we are very sick and tired of Rahul Mahajan & Facebook! We are losing the cultural legacy of our thinking styles, our Indianness, our Unity in Diversitywala chapter in our Social Studies textbook, we are losing it all to the greed of our TRP centric genetically challenged TV producers who don't realise how badly they have been effecting the general population's outlook! Afaqs thank your for this article!
From kevin thomas , Wed 23 Sep 2009 03:32:33 PM it is very much evident from this interview that the work culture in ogilvy is something which makes ogilvy diff from all the other ad firms. People working in ogilvy are given an oppurtunity to understand what their good at.... and also piyush says that client serving is not just selling what the creative people does or servicing the client, its all about contributing to the idea and taking ownership of the job and being a part of it. when a briefing is given the client servicer's ideas are also put in place to make the work as interesting as possible,
am proud to be a part of the ogilvy family
cheeers ogilvy......
From Swapan Seth, Wed 23 Sep 2009 03:30:31 PM Piyush leads from the front and from his heart. A charismatic combintaion. A wonderful interview.
From Shivani Sharma, Wed 23 Sep 2009 03:30:18 PM Piyush Pandey is someone who everyone in the advertising fraternity looks up to. Through this article we witnessed a remarkable insight into the persona and humility of this creative genius. An inetrview which makes us think, Truly motivating...
From Deepa, Wed 23 Sep 2009 03:21:14 PM Such a inspiring interview! i couldnt stop reading complete interview. the few moments like ...waiting to see your creative first on TV or keeping middle class values actually touched my heart and really felt, if i could do something like this.
From sanjay, Wed 23 Sep 2009 03:16:21 PM how do i get to work here?
From Avinash Dolas, Wed 23 Sep 2009 02:02:06 PM Reading through the interview one gets the idea of Piyush's humbleness and simplicity in looking at life. I firmly believe in the fact that your work reflects your personality and that translates into admiration, love and respect. At times the various instances narrated by Piyush in the interview sound like a fairy tale. Thanks Afaqs.
From Lovely Bose, Wed 23 Sep 2009 02:00:04 PM Oh so good to realize..servicing is just not meant to service client but yes..creative thoughts & strategies come along with that..Piyush has already set an example..
From Sunder Sethuraman, Wed 23 Sep 2009 01:51:09 PM I was a young boy studying in school when I first heard abt Piyush pandey through my dad Mr.K.Sethuraman who used to write scripts in Tamil for O&M,I was inclined towards advertsing because of Piyush though I had always wanted to work under him it never happened !Though I'm in Advertsing as a Tamil speaker & a Radio producer I miss working under him !He's a true genius like Clive Llyod who took our Indian advertising to a different level!
From Bhaarath, Wed 23 Sep 2009 01:51:03 PM Truly inspiring.
From Rohan, Wed 23 Sep 2009 01:26:18 PM Simply Amazing!!! Inspiring!!! Motivating!!!
From Raza Hussain Sayed, Wed 23 Sep 2009 12:46:36 PM I have always admired and loved his work. Always wished if I could be his student and learn and polish my creative skills. Any way his interview has boosted my energy. It gave me a reason to enjoy my work more. It has build a my confidence stronger than before to take risk and do challenging jobs. He is a great ( AD ) man.
From Anil , Wed 23 Sep 2009 12:34:26 PM Amazing interview. Result of an agency that had vision to become the most sought after agency in the country
From Marc, Wed 23 Sep 2009 12:27:46 PM there is a reason every creative worth his salt wants to work with the man...he's a walking talking university...and Avasthi and Rao have been with him long enuf to carry the baton and run...as fast as him..maybe faster...and there's still 4 or 5 years more of piyush at ogilvy as this intw says...so the succession is planned quite well...Cheers Piyush..you're like Sachin...keep going...advertising will never have enuf of u...
From Niyant Lohokare, Wed 23 Sep 2009 12:26:07 PM I have heard lot about Mr. Piyush. But having gone through this interview I come to know what i have been hearing about him is true. I have learn lot of things from this interview which would be helpful in my career. Especially his defeation of leardership is perfect.
From ashwathram, Wed 23 Sep 2009 11:47:23 AM Obviously its an envy in me to be a part of ogilvy!!!!
From sundar.Iyer, Wed 23 Sep 2009 11:42:12 AM It is an opportunity to read and understand the mind and philosophy of the grt mind like mr.PP.I thanks afaqs for this interview.
From Shanti Nadarajah, Wed 23 Sep 2009 11:40:29 AM Had the privilege of meeting Piyush a few times while working at Ogilvy in Colombo. IMHO the secret behind Piyush's management style is his sense of humour and infectious energy. Once at a party he discovered that a few of our colleagues were missing because of a 'hen party' for an client service person who was getting married a few days later. From the moment he discovered this he set about winding us up to gate crash that party. By about 2am we were sufficiently in high spirits to take up his challenge and after making a few phone calls were able to discover the general location of the secret venue. A 10 km ride across the city and searching down a few by roads and we had Piyush at their door. This is also an example of Piyush's philosophy of 'taking risks & trying something different!' which has taken Ogilvy India to where it is today.
From Sahil, Wed 23 Sep 2009 11:35:33 AM great interview.....Indian television would be so incomplete without some of those wonderful ads created by PP and his team.
From arccat, Wed 23 Sep 2009 11:35:03 AM super six!
From Bibeesh, Wed 23 Sep 2009 11:25:33 AM Great words from the ad-man.
Inspiring and insightful.
From Bhavin, Wed 23 Sep 2009 11:17:56 AM I hope all the agencies incoporate such mindset and vision.
Hats off to Piyush Pandey.
From ravi deshpande pictures, Wed 23 Sep 2009 11:10:35 AM To be so unassuming, candidly Self-effacing, and down to earth after changing the leadership map of the advertising industry time and again over 3 decades - WOW! This man who calls everyone a 'pardner' really leads with a hand round his team's shoulder!!!
My 21 year old neighbor who is a budding marketing guy interacted with Piyush over an event and came back re-inspired for life. No wonder O&M is a creative cauldron.
From Reena Mehta, Wed 23 Sep 2009 11:02:49 AM Amazing interview!!
From Anand Narasimha, Wed 23 Sep 2009 10:46:11 AM Piyush is not just about Ogilvy. He's about Indian Advertising.
He's the guy who brought 'the common desi touch' to a highly anglicised industry.
Before that, most campaigns were conceived in English and translated into the vernacular.
Hindi writers were relegated to being translators or asked to work on rural/social campaigns.
Piyush and his team created ideas in the 'Indian Idiom' that engaged consumers like never before.
Piyush's biggest contribution to Indian Advertising is that he pulled it out of the shadows of Madison Avenue and gave it a fresh, new identity. More than the awards it won, it was loved by consumers.
Piyush in my view is the Saurav Ganguly of Indian Advertising. Love him ir hate him, you can't ignore him. My Salaams Skipper!
From Raj, Wed 23 Sep 2009 10:44:34 AM Piysh's this interview was like watching Virender sehwag hitting an upper cut for six.. extremly delightful to know about O&m and Piyush Pandey's work culture and simplicity. One thing which i have felt and learnt from this interview is an organization like O & M and career like Piyush's can be built only by being with a team for a very long time.
From Parineeta, Wed 23 Sep 2009 10:42:07 AM Inspiring words by Piyush. Kudos to Ogilvy!
From rajesh, Wed 23 Sep 2009 10:40:37 AM whatever critcs might say the man scores...a sure change from the boorish, attitdue laden, , 'look at me and learn' agency personnel/heads resting on yesterdays' laurels..wish we had more like him...and not jus to spruce up the 'creativity'!!
From urvashi, Wed 23 Sep 2009 10:24:24 AM A peek into Ogilvy through the eyes of Piyush has indeed been a learning experience. Being a fresher, I now understand, career is not about growing in terms of post or salary, but its about flourishing and learning from each other...kudos to Piyush
From Shyam Samant, Wed 23 Sep 2009 10:14:00 AM Inspring . . .
From koda shastri, Wed 23 Sep 2009 10:03:48 AM This intervuiew has helped me understand ogilvy in a way nothing before it has. While this is one man's view he is not just the top boss but a person who has seen the agency evolve over a quarter of a century. Insightful interview.
