iWorld
Snapchat and IAA help creatives tap into the future of AR storytelling
MUMBAI: If advertising is chasing the next big idea, Augmented Reality might just be the plot twist nobody saw coming. And last evening, India’s creative community got a front-row seat to that future as the International Advertising Association (IAA) India Chapter, in partnership with Snapchat, unveiled ‘The Vibe,’ a first-of-its-kind immersion into how AR could rewrite the rules of brand storytelling.
Held in Mumbai, the showcase pulled in 150 plus top creative professionals from agencies that shape India’s cultural pulse, Ogilvy, McCann, VML, Leo Burnett, Accenture Song, Schbang, Havas, Tilt Brand Solutions, Talented, FCB Kinnect, 22 Feet, WATConsult, Moonshot, Rediffusion, Creativeland Asia, Dentsu Creative, Mullen Lintas, Lowe Lintas, Madison Communications and many more. A gathering this stacked made one thing clear: when Snapchat calls, the industry shows up.
The evening opened with a warm welcome from Abhishek Karnani, President, IAA India, followed by Kranti Gada, IAA Mancom Member and lead for the IAA Young Professionals Programme. She underscored the initiative’s mission empowering under-35 talent through exposure, learning and collaborations that matter in an industry being reinvented in real time.
Setting the tone for what AR means today and what it could become tomorrow Snap Inc., director & head of content & AR partnerships Saket Jha Saurabh mapped out the growing significance of augmented layers in creative work. For agencies and brands navigating fragmented attention spans, AR isn’t just a gimmick anymore; it’s a behaviour.
The spotlight then shifted to Snap Inc., creative lead Avijit Pathak who delivered a deep-dive session into AR workflows, tools, and campaign applications. From lens-building to AR-native storytelling, the walkthrough offered a practical look at how brands can elevate engagement by inviting audiences to step into the story instead of just watching it.
A lively fireside chat followed, featuring Snap Star Amulya Rattan, moderated by Roxanne Chinoy from Snap’s Talent Partnerships team. With a combined 9 million-strong community across platforms, Amulya unpacked how AR effects have become essential to creator expression not just beautification, but world-building.
During the open Q&A, attendees grilled the panel on campaign execution, collaborative frameworks, and real-world case studies. The questions made it evident that AR has moved from fringe experiment to creative toolkit with many wanting to understand how to integrate it into brand narratives without losing authenticity.
Then came the moment that stole the evening guests trying on Snap’s AR Spectacles. The hands-on experience transformed abstract concepts into immersive reality, giving creatives a glimpse of next-generation storytelling in full 3D, full motion, and full imagination.
As conversations flowed into networking over food and drinks, one thing became clear: ‘The Vibe’ wasn’t just a demo, but a cultural nudge. AR is no longer a cool add-on, it’s a creative canvas. And with collaborators like the IAA and Snapchat pushing the industry forward, India’s next big brand story might just be one you can literally step into.
iWorld
Micro-Dramas Surge in India, Redefining Mobile Content Habits
Meta-Ormax study maps rapid rise of short-form storytelling among 18–44 audiences.
MUMBAI: Micro-dramas aren’t just short, they’re the snack that ate Indian entertainment, and now everyone’s bingeing between the sofa cushions. Meta, in partnership with Ormax Media, has released ‘Micro Dramas: The India Story’, a comprehensive study unveiled at the inaugural Meta Marketing Summit: Micro-Drama Edition. The report maps how the vertical, bite-sized format is reshaping content consumption for mobile-first audiences aged 18–44 across 14 states.
Conducted between November 2025 and January 2026 through 50 in-depth interviews and 2,000 personal surveys, the research reveals that 65 per cent of viewers discovered micro-dramas within the last year proof of explosive adoption. Nearly 89 per cent encounter the format through social feeds and recommendations, making algorithm-driven discovery the primary engine rather than active search.
Key viewing patterns show a median of 3.5 hours per week (about 30 minutes daily) spread across 7–8 short sessions. Consumption peaks between 8 pm and midnight, with additional spikes during commutes and work breaks classic “in-between moments” that the format fills perfectly. Around 57 per cent of viewing happens in ambient mode (while doing something else), and 90 per cent is solo, enabling more intimate, personal storytelling.
Romance, family drama and comedy lead genre preferences. Audiences show growing openness to AI-generated content, 47 per cent find it unique and creative, while only 6 per cent say they would avoid it entirely. Regional languages are surging after Hindi and English, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada dominate consumption.
Meta, director, media & entertainment (India) Shweta Bajpai said, “Micro-drama isn’t a passing trend, it’s rewriting the rules of Indian entertainment. In under a year, an entirely new category of platforms has emerged, built audience habits from scratch, and created a business vertical that is scaling fast.”
Ormax Media founder-CEO Shailesh Kapoor added, “Micro-dramas are beginning to show the early signs of becoming a distinct content category in India’s digital entertainment landscape. When a format aligns closely with how audiences naturally engage with their devices, it has the potential to scale very quickly.”
The study proposes ecosystem-wide responsibility, universal signposting of commercial intent, shared accountability among advertisers, platforms, creators, schools and parents, built-in safeguards, and formal media literacy in schools.
In a feed that never sleeps and a day that never stops, micro-dramas have slipped into the cracks of every spare minute turning 30-second stories into the new national pastime, one vertical swipe at a time.
