IAA and Snapchat launch ‘The Vibe’ to explore the next wave of AR storytelling

The International Advertising Association (IAA) India Chapter and Snapchat introduced a new initiative called The Vibe in Mumbai, aimed at giving India’s creative community a closer look at how augmented reality is shaping brand storytelling and content creation.

The event drew more than 150 professionals from across major advertising and creative agencies, including Ogilvy, McCann, VML, Leo Burnett, Accenture Song, Schbang, Havas, Tilt Brand Solutions, Talented, FCB Kinnect, 22 Feet, One Hand Clap, WATConsult, Whoppl and Moonshot, along with representation from Kulfi Collective, Rediffusion, Creativeland Asia, Dentsu Creative, Blink, Manja, Mullen Lintas, Lowe Lintas and Madison Communications.

IAA India President Abhishek Karnani opened the evening, followed by Kranti Gada, IAA Mancom Member and lead for the Young Professionals Program. Gada outlined how the initiative is designed to expose under-35 professionals to emerging industry practices and offer more structured learning and networking opportunities.

Saket Jha Saurabh, Director and Head of Content & AR Partnerships at Snap Inc., set the foundation for the session with an overview of the current AR landscape and its relevance for agencies, brands and creators. His remarks led into a detailed workshop by Avijit Pathak, Creative Lead at Snap Inc., who walked participants through AR tools, production workflows and brand applications.

The programme also included a fireside conversation featuring Snap Star Amulya Rattan, moderated by Roxanne Chinoy from Snap’s Talent Partnerships team. Rattan, who has a following of more than 9 million across platforms, discussed how AR is influencing creator output and audience engagement.

An open Q&A allowed attendees to explore practical challenges, use cases and collaboration models. Guests were also able to try Snap’s AR Spectacles, which offered a hands-on sense of how next-generation AR experiences may be produced and consumed.

The evening ended with networking sessions that brought together agency leaders, creators, and emerging professionals to exchange perspectives on the future of immersive storytelling.