If you’ve ever felt the sudden urge to unwrap a chocolate bar while watching a cricket match or smiled at a fleeting, joyful moment — chances are, you’ve felt the magic of Piyush Pandey.
The legendary advertising genius, who passed away in Mumbai at the age of 70, wasn’t just the man behind some of India’s most iconic campaigns — he was the storyteller who taught India how to feel joy, one ad at a time.
From Fevicol’s “Jor laga ke haisha” to Asian Paints’ “Har ghar kuch kehta hai,” Pandey’s creative brilliance transformed the way India connected with brands. Yet, one campaign stands above them all — Cadbury Dairy Milk’s “Asli Swaad Zindagi Ka.”
Chocolates Were for Kids — Until Piyush Pandey Changed the Rules
In the early 1990s, India was transforming. Liberalisation was opening markets, and television was redefining culture. But chocolate? That still belonged to children.
Adults saw chocolate as a guilty pleasure — a gift for kids or an occasional indulgence. Cadbury, a household name for decades, wanted to change that. They wanted chocolate to be seen as something everyone could enjoy.
Enter Piyush Pandey, who saw the solution not in the product, but in the emotion behind it.
His idea was simple yet revolutionary — show adults rediscovering the child within them. The campaign’s tagline said it all: “Asli Swaad Zindagi Ka” — The Real Taste of Life.
The Birth of a Cultural Moment — Written on a Boarding Pass
The story of how this campaign came to life is as legendary as the ad itself.
In 1994, while vacationing in the U.S. during Diwali, Piyush Pandey received an urgent call from his boss — Cadbury needed a campaign that could redefine chocolate for adults. Without hesitation, he caught the next flight home.
On the back of his boarding pass, somewhere over the Atlantic, he scribbled the first lines of the jingle:
“There’s something so real in everyone… There’s something so real, ask anyone.”
Once in India, he reached out to Louis Banks, who composed the tune in just 15 minutes. Gary Lawyer lent his voice to the English version, recorded within a day.
But Pandey wanted the song to feel Indian. He rewrote the lyrics in Hindi and roped in Shankar Mahadevan, whose soulful “Kuch Swaad Hai” refrain gave the campaign its emotional heartbeat.
The Girl Who Danced Her Way Into History
Every great story needs a hero — or in this case, a heroine.
Pandey and his team wanted someone who embodied spontaneity, joy, and childlike energy. They found that in Shimona Rashi, a young woman who wasn’t a professional dancer but radiated unfiltered happiness.
Directed by Mahesh Mathai, the ad was shot at Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium in a single take. Shimona danced across the cricket field, chocolate in hand, twirling past security guards as the crowd cheered.
Her infectious energy made her India’s sweetheart long before the term “viral” existed.
Chocolate wasn’t the focus — joy was. And through that joy, Cadbury Dairy Milk became more than a sweet — it became a symbol of celebration.
Why “Asli Swaad Zindagi Ka” Worked
The campaign wasn’t just an ad — it was a cultural shift.
Before it, chocolates were for kids. After it, chocolates became a reminder of life’s simple pleasures.
As Prakash Nair, Associate President at Ogilvy, explained,
“The ad was meant to appeal not just to kids, but to the kid in everyone.”
The brilliance of the campaign lay in its subtlety. There was no hard sell — just joy, music, and human connection. And that’s why it worked.
A Legacy That Lives On
The 1994 campaign became a phenomenon. It won every major advertising award and was later named “Campaign of the Century” by the Advertising Club Bombay.
In 2020, Ogilvy paid tribute with a gender-swapped version — featuring a man dancing onto the field as a woman hit the winning shot. Pandey’s only condition for approval?
“Change everything — but don’t touch the music.”
Even decades later, that familiar tune, born from a scribble on a boarding pass, still evokes nostalgia and happiness.
Beyond Ads — Piyush Pandey’s Timeless Influence
Piyush Pandey didn’t just sell products — he sold emotions.
He understood that great advertising wasn’t about persuasion, but about connection. His work with brands like Fevicol, Asian Paints, and Cadbury reshaped how India looked at marketing — and at itself.
He gave us “Mile Sur Mera Tumhara,” the song that united a nation in melody, and “Asli Swaad Zindagi Ka,” the jingle that made us rediscover joy.
Remembering the Legend
Piyush Pandey’s passing marks the end of an era, but his ideas continue to live on — every time someone unwraps a Dairy Milk, hums a jingle, or smiles at an ad that makes them feel seen.
Because for Pandey, advertising was never about selling. It was about celebrating life.
And that, truly, was the “Asli Swaad Zindagi Ka.”
