Instagram’s Ultra-Wide Reels: A Novelty Format Capturing Attention – For Now
Singapore – A new, strikingly narrow video format is taking over Instagram, with brands and creators alike experimenting with the 5120 x 1080 pixel ultra-wide “skinny” reel. While its longevity as a standard remains uncertain, the format is proving effective at cutting through the noise and sparking engagement, driven by its unexpected nature.
The trend’s appeal lies in its disruption of the typical vertical scroll. “The odd format makes their humour land harder,” explains Priscilla Wai, highlighting its success with pop culture accounts. She adds that photographers, fashion, gaming, automotive, and travel creators are also finding success, as the panoramic feel effectively showcases their visuals.
For brands, the emphasis isn’t necessarily on long-term adoption, but on demonstrating agility and participation in the current conversation.”It’s less about it being a long-term format and more about signalling that they’re swift to experiment,” Wai stated.
The opportunity extends beyond typical lifestyle categories. abdul Sani Abdul Murad, group CMO at RHB Banking Group, points to the potential for traditionally “dry” sectors to benefit. “The obvious answer is travel, luxury, cars – things that naturally lend themselves to cinematic storytelling benefit from this format. But I think the bigger opportunity lies in categories that don’t usually get that treatment,” he said.
RHB Banking Group’s own campaign featured a blue strip with abstract red, white, and blue shapes, accompanied by text proclaiming “together we adapt, reinvent, transform, reshape and innovate.” Sani explained the strategy: “Banking usually lives in spreadsheets. we decided to give it a cinema screen instead. That mismatch catches people off guard and makes them rethink what banking is really about. It’s not just money, but progress in people’s lives.”
Though, experts are divided on whether this format will become a permanent fixture. abdul Sani believes the underlying desire for novelty will endure, even if the specific format fades. “formats are fickle but the impulse behind it will stay,” he said. “At RHB, we didn’t use widescreen to chase a trend.We used it as a Trojan horse: you enter with novelty, but you stay because the story feels bigger. And the story we wanted to tell is timeless: together we progress.”
Similarly, Kong predicts the format will remain a niche creative tool, stating, “It is indeed more than a passing fad, but less than a permanent shift in strategy.”
Hajar, however, sees potential for the format to evolve into a new creative canvas. “For now,it feels like a trend because most executions are driven by speed to market. But I can see brands treating it as a new creative canvas,” she said, noting that the format’s emergence on social media, after previously being used primarily for Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) advertising, “opens up room to experiment and build new types of storytelling.”
Related Articles:
* How brands can put the ‘social’ back into social media
* From chatter to change: Why comments are your most underrated focus group
* Wendy’s beef with Katy Perry: Can snark-driven brands still show up with heart?
