Can you #REEL It ? You have about 15 seconds ! by Jasravee K Chandra

A new visual language, communicating through a vertical frame, the hand-held mobile phone, has emerged. We have not even consciously, fully learnt it, but it is operant. Let us  take a look at some micro and macro factors aiding the entire phenomenon.





Section 1 : Seconds - Fifteen (15)

While the debates on a 15 seconder, its role and effectiveness are on-going in the ad-world; bumper ads, thumb-stopper ads (of FB) termed bite-sized ads, are finding their place in the new age mediums and OTT advertising. We are in the age of ‘Speed Media’.

Can a 15 second ad engage, is it enough to change behaviour and evoke emotions? Nielsen’s research has concluded it can definitely induce brand recall. It can extend brand reach and complement broader messaging.

There always was a case for shorter communication with decreasing attention spans. After all, the millennials communicate through GIF’s. Still, when Instagram’s Reels limits the video canvas to a 15 second; is it not seeking to revolutionize consumption of images/ content. (A Tiktok and Roposo, Chingari give you between 30-60 seconds bandwidth)

Not just stopping you from scrolling down, the 15 seconds content, very ambitiously intends to make you smile, laugh, admire, aspire, access your hidden (buried?) dream…all through an act, a dance, a mime, a narration. And if we look closely, the content being posted on Reels, is as varied as can be.



  • cooking, make-up, fashion tutorials/ tips
  • poetry, ‘sher-o-shayari’
  • jokes
  • practical pranks 
  • movie memes
  • situational comedy
  • profound cultural commentary 
  • re-living favourite actor/ actress Bollywood moments

How are most of the amateur content- creators, with perhaps just a learning curve provided by the now banned Tiktok, achieving this? How are they ensuring a ‘view’, engagement with and appreciation of a diverse audience? How is it seamlessly converting into a tangible reward of a ‘like’ or a ‘following’ (subscription to the content)? And all this in a maximum of 15 seconds?

From having dabbled in Tiktok and now Reels in the Covid-19 lockdown period, I realized the content creators have developed an instinct for the norms of the new visual language of the mobile’s vertical frame. Some of these norms seem to be :


An attitude of play

Try, fail, try again! Create, post and continue learning from reactions, better ways to engage and better one’s craft. Perhaps the non judgemental world of the format helps. Here, you can access the entire spectrum, from acclaimed artists to those who have just taken the first baby step ( read, you are bound to feel ‘what were they thinking’)


Ease and inclusivity 

A farmer and his wife dancing rhythmically and emoting to Shahrukh Khan’s romantic number; a mechanic’s son who dances so well he deservedly reminds you of Michael Jackson. Here you will encounter the naive innocence of a regular guy’s heart, as well as celebrities without make-up, laughing through their goof-ups. The platform comes across as real, authentic and encourages spontaneity.


Clarity of intent and message

The content creators are very clear about their genre and intent. Most importantly the story arc is such that it clearly establishes the context and allows extrapolation for evoking the right emotion.


Good performances - 15 second of fame

Varied degrees of talent but always rehearsed and well-coordinated. Further sprinkled with an audacity and freshness, the content is created to hold your attention. This becomes especially important for a 15 second in a vertical frame when there is not much space (or time) to establish background context using props etc.. The one thing that can surely engage well is a good performance. The lure and potential of ‘viral’ ensures each video gets its due by the content creators.


Creating Micro-moments

Micro-moments are the moments that hold a viewer’s attention within the story trajectory. Content creators, with all of the above factors and keeping the story line simple and not layered, try to create such pivotal/ water-shed moments. (Micro-moments term was originally used for intent-rich moments when buying decisions are made and preferences shaped during a customer journey (#thinkwithgoogle))


So, we can see that the 15 second canvas of Instagram Reels which initially appeared a constraint has instead started spurring on creativity. It is accelerating the development, of the new visual language; revolutionizing how we consume images. It will be interesting to note how this language evolves further.


Research by Mr Ravi Mehta at the University of Illinois and Meng Zhu at Johns Hopkins University especially their Bubble Wrap Test has actually proved that a scarcity mind-set gives people the freedom to use resources in un-conventional ways, that otherwise remain un-tapped.



Section 2 : Constraints in the modern plague, Covid-19 times


Constraints in the locked-down existence of humanity is too obvious a fact. Citing few, the experience of which has literally united us across the globe !

  • Fear,
  • Future uncertainty, 
  • Isolation, social- distancing,
  • Economic recession,
  • Breakdown of routine,

These constraints led us to doing things we would never have done otherwise. And we ended up with experiences we could not have even imagined.


  • We paused. Weaving a deeper intimacy with our inner self; its light as well as darkness; its still-alive dreams as well as the lurking shadows.
  • We spent more time doing things with our hands and with all five senses present. The mundane but rhythmic activities like cooking, cleaning, gardening, de-cluttering, re-arranging stuff…engaged our right brain, started soothing and healing us.
  • We experienced freedom from compulsions of maintaining our lofty social personas
  • And felt the pressure of the need to escape the un-fathomable, into laughter, smiles and positivity.
  •  Long periods of madness inducing isolation, made us crave expression, connection and community.

When constraints knocked us down as obstacles and we could not even complain, we started looking within. The constraints freed us from the distractions of excess choices and we started noticing the door so far ignored. Sensing the dichotomy of ‘everything to lose- nothing to lose’ we stepped right into this door into the unknown !

The healed, soothed mankind started picking up a pen, a paint brush, a pan, a trowel…..and the mobile .... to dance, to sing, to act, to cook…to express, to connect!


Constraints strangely introduced us to contentment; contentment with less, contentment despite limitations. Constraints liberated us from conformity, poked us to be bold and take the first step towards embracing our uniqueness. Constraints liberated us to take a leap into the vast cosmos of creativity.

And the new visual language (through a Tiktok, Reels etc.) was ready and waiting, happy to take the clouds of creativity onto expansive spirals!


A Recap

The 15 second rule of Instagram Reels is a constraint that is spurring creativity. It is accelerating the development of the new visual language, revolutionizing how we consume images. It will be interesting to note how this language evolves further.

The constraints of Covid-19 lockdown pushed us into unknown frontiers. Intense, perhaps desperate need to escape the un-fathomable and usher in positivity forced us to consider cleaning the cob-webs within. Long periods of madness inducing isolation, made us crave expression, connection and community. Formats like Tiktok, Reels have tapped into the society’s  creativity !

A Tiktok/ Reels has become a worthy hang-out, for a diverse groups of demographics/ psychographics who get together to express, create and be part of a community of creators. 


Implications for Marketing

Creators like Elon Musk, Steve Jobs and corresponding brands like Tesla, Apple are looked at as the chosen few. Gifted and innovative, they tend to be non-conformist mavericks. We place them on a pedestal. The emerging cultural trends are pointing towards birth of a new kind of creator. A regular guy who has suddenly got a whiff of his hidden, suppressed talent. It is the start of his inspiring yet relatable journey. Something that every other regular guy can relate to. 

The 'regular unassuming creator' is a blend of two powerful archetypes - Creator Archetype and Regular Guy archetype. If this was once a niche, it is now likely to become a dominant paradigm, waiting to be tapped into. Are the marketers listening?

User and participator audience profile of formats Tiktok / Reels/ Roposo/ Chingari are diverse yet homogenous. What brings them together is a desire to express and connect through creativity. The brand messaging of different brands must keep this in mind to be relevant as well as distinct in the feed. 

The emerging shorter communication through a vertical frame (mobile) has brought forth new visual language norms that the content creators are instinctively adept at. Brand partnerships can benefit from this understanding that engages effectively.

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