IAA India and Snapchat launch The Vibe AR initiative

The International Advertising Association India Chapter partnered with Snapchat to host an immersive evening focused on the future of augmented reality in brand communication. At the centre of the gathering was The Vibe AR initiative, positioned as a first of its kind platform to familiarise Indias creative community with how AR can reshape storytelling for brands.

The event brought together more than 150 creative professionals from leading agencies and independent shops. Attendees included teams from Ogilvy, McCann, VML, Leo Burnett, Accenture Song, Schbang, Havas, Tilt Brand Solutions, Talented, FCB Kinnect, 22 Feet, One Hand Clap, WATConsult, Whoppl and Moonshot, as well as Kulfi Collective, Rediffusion, Creativeland Asia, Dentsu Creative, Blink, Manja, Mullen Lintas, Lowe Lintas and Madison Communications.

The evening opened with a welcome address by Abhishek Karnani, President of IAA India. He set the tone for a session aimed at helping agencies and creators understand how emerging tools can be applied in day to day work, not just special projects.

He was followed by remarks from Kranti Gada, IAA Mancom Member and lead for the IAA Young Professionals Program, who highlighted the programs focus on professionals under 35. She emphasised the importance of exposure, learning platforms and structured networking in building the next generation of marketing and creative leadership.

Providing context for the sessions that followed, Saket Jha Saurabh, Director and Head, Content and AR Partnerships at Snap Inc, outlined the current AR landscape. He spoke about the growing role of AR for agencies, brands and creators, and how it is moving from experimental executions to a more embedded part of campaign thinking.

The keynote was delivered by Avijit Pathak, Creative Lead at Snap Inc, who walked attendees through AR tools, creative workflows and marketing applications. His session focused on practical ways AR can deepen engagement, add utility and elevate brand experiences when used thoughtfully.

The programme also featured a fireside chat with Snap Star Amulya Rattan, moderated by Roxanne Chinoy from Snap Incs talent partnerships team. With a community of more than 9 million followers across platforms, Rattan shared her firsthand experience of how AR lenses and experiences influence content creation and audience interaction.

An open audience question and answer segment allowed participants to seek clarity on real world use cases, production processes and opportunities for collaboration between creators, agencies and platforms.

Guests then had the chance to try Snap AR Spectacles, experiencing an on ground demonstration of how next generation AR can enable new forms of storytelling. The hands on segment allowed attendees to see how ideas move from concept to experience.

The evening concluded with networking over food and drinks, bringing together agency leaders, creators and platform specialists. For many, the session underscored that AR is shifting from a novelty to a core part of the creative toolkit, with initiatives like this designed to help young professionals and senior leaders explore its potential in everyday brand work.

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