Piyush Pandey makes a strong case for sustainability of human emotions
Speaking on ‘Brand Communication for Social Change’ at the IAA World Congress in Kochi, Piyush Pandey, Global Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy & Mather, made an emotional appeal for sustainability of human emotions, which, he felt, is under threat in the digital world.
At the outset, giving his take on the theme of ‘Brand Dharma’, Pandey said, “Dharma is learnings of our predecessor and their predecessors about karma. It is this learning that makes us good global citizens. Dharma is a philosophy, and karma is work.”
Speaking at the 3-day convention, Pandey said, “A lot of people spoke about sustainability, climate change and everything. I would like to draw your attention to sustainability of human emotions that are under threat in the digital world.”
He lamented the fact that people are so involved in their gadgets that they have stopped caring about others. “Are we talking to each other enough?” he asked, while emphasising, “Personal interface can never be matched by Face-Time.”
At the same time, Pandey believed that brands can bring about a social change and help us be better human beings. He added, “Big brands can do messaging that can have an impact that is magical.” To drive home his point, Pandey cited the examples of the brand campaigns done by Ogilvy India for two of its clients – Google and Amazon. The two campaigns – one about two friends separated by the Partition, and the second one about the love between a brother and sister – highlight the importance of sustaining relationships over time. “I salute brands that prefer such messaging,” he said.
Citing an incident from his own life, Pandey narrated the time his mother was admitted in the ICU and he was not allowed to see her. He said, “While people say that patients under medical care should not be disturbed, medical research states that emotional support is as useful as medical support.”
He lamented the loss of love and caring within families and said that these days, young people, unable to look after their aged parents, send them to old-age homes. Coming down strongly on people who resorted to such measures, Pandey said, “Your parents didn’t leave you no matter what, then why can’t you as a young adult look after them?”
Pandey left the audience with a profound thought, “Sustainability of the environment is to make life longer, but sustainability of relationships is to spread love and make everyone enjoy the journey of life.”