Confined Creatives: How we rode a new wave of branded content during peak lockdown

In May 2020, the world was locked indoors, and the idea of normalcy had an entirely new definition. For creators and platforms like ours, this wasn’t just a logistical challenge — it was a creative one. At the time, I was just a few months into my role as a Senior Creative at one of India’s premier digital content houses, and we were still adjusting to a new, restrictive reality: the “at-home shoot.”

The Woeful World of Viral Content Creators

Now, for the uninitiated, writing a good sketch is tough even in the best of times. Sharan Saikumar, an ex-boss, had once simplified the formula for virality to me in these succinct words: “context + relatability = virality.” To break that down, virality is almost guaranteed when you mix something that’s currently trending (context) and mix it with a strong insight (relatability). 

But honestly, I didn’t fully comprehend the science behind virality until my buddy and creative mentor, Devaiah Bopanna, gave his astute take. He compared holding people’s attention on the internet to peddling drugs: 

“Our job as content creators is to supply high people at a rave with more dopamine – we are essentially drug peddlers.” 

Truer words have never been spoken. But how do I peddle my dopamine despite the restriction of shooting virtually without sets, crews, or in-person interactions?

To make matters even more daunting, this was only my second sketch video since joining this channel, and I knew the expectations were high. I felt a chip on my shoulder, and I was also nervous beyond my wits. 

The Team and The Background

Earlier, I had the luxury of narrating to the lead actors in person, and we had the benefit of picking outdoor locations, costumes and props. How do you make a viral listicle video when your characters can’t share the frame? When every shot must be filmed in someone’s bedroom with basic equipment, and when physical comedy and chemistry are replaced with Zoom calls and piece-to-camera monologues? 

We were forced to reinvent our entire approach to storytelling. Who’s we? Our stellar directors Pallavi Kedia and Shaani Singh, along with sales & client business wizards, Shreya Agarwal and Manju Motwani. The five of us, along with an enthusiastic crew, were spearheading our first branded series of sketches that would be entirely shot remotely. And we were rightfully s***ing bricks!

Finding the Right Beat

The first scene of “When You Study at Home” was the toughest to crack. How do you set up a world in lockdown without showing the outside world? How do you evoke a sense of the shared student experience? The chaos, distraction, and the ever-looming pressure of online classes? And how do you do all this without falling into clichés or making it feel like a PSA? 

It took a couple of drafts and a lot of internal punch-ups with veteran writers like Vineeth Srinivasan, Preksha Khanna and more before I found the right tone: relatable, empathetic, but still funny. Having Ahsaas Channa as the lead helped immensely. Her screen presence and timing brought a natural charm to the script, making even the simplest scenes resonate.

Finding Our Stride

Pallavi directed the first video, and with a supporting cast like Manish Kharage and Gunjan Saini, she was able to clearly instruct the actors on their comic timing, beats and blocking – all virtually over a Zoom call! Full props to our AD – Priyankar Biswas, who decided that he doesn’t need a real set; he will run even a virtual one efficiently.

At that time, I had been writing short videos for the internet for about 3 years, and this was a total game-changer. We were used to budgeting our shoots with on-ground elements like camera, grip, catering, etc, being key factors, but in this case, it seemed as if we’d cracked something special. 

We had a first mover advantage since none of our competitors had mastered at-home shoots yet. So naturally, after this success, our higher-ups encouraged all teams to double down on shot-at-home content. 

2nd Time Lucky

Once we nailed that first video, its companion piece, “School Best Friends During Lockdown”, came together more smoothly. Like having a second child, we had learnt from our mistakes with the first one and seemed to have temporarily cracked the code on how to make virtual sketches work.

But what made the second video even grander in scale was the casting of Revathi Pillai and Ritvik Sahore – two bona fide stars who were in top form in the hands of our director, Shaani. I was admittedly less involved in the filming of this one, but I have fond memories of sharpening this script deep into the night with Shreya and Manju.

The Brand-Creator Partnership

Unacademy, one of FilterCopy’s most frequent and supportive collaborators, understood the creative and logistical limitations of the lockdown era and gave us the space to craft a story that felt genuine. 

However, like any good brand, Unacademy’s brand custodians didn’t compromise on their messaging. The toughest part of writing this was ensuring that we convey the USPs of their IIT and JEE tests in the most relatable way possible. Their goal of engaging India’s student audience had to align perfectly with our intent to portray the chaos and comedy of learning from home. 

You’ve also got to keep in mind that branded content, especially in 2020, often walked a tightrope between relevance and promotion. The brand’s trust allowed us to focus on storytelling first. That’s why the brand integrations are seamless - because it comes from the characters’ world and isn’t imposed on it.

The New Language of Branded Content

Looking back, 'When You Study at Home' and 'School Best Friends During Lockdown' aren’t just two videos as part of a campaign; they are case studies in adapting under pressure. For me personally, it was a crash course in resilience, collaboration, and creative flexibility. And in many ways, it set the tone for the kind of work I’d go on to do in the post-lockdown content world. 

I got promoted to Creative Manager later that year and even made it to the coveted Social Samosa 30Under30 list for 2021 — on the back of projects like this. I’ve gone from creating listicles for brands to creating shows for brands, and just like me, branded content in India has evolved drastically since 2020. 

What was once considered “low-effort”— direct-to-camera dialogue, homemade lighting, minimal setups — is now a trusted and often preferred style for brands looking for authenticity. The language of advertising has become more conversational, more human, and far less polished. And that’s a good thing.

My Personal Takeaway

I re-watched these 2 videos after many years while preparing for this article, and sure, a few of the scenes haven’t aged well. But they encapsulated exactly what an entire generation of students was going through during lockdown. I’m most proud of the fact that through these two videos, we touched the lives of millions of young students wallowing in uncertainty. We made them feel seen, we provided them with moments of relief, laughter and relatability in a time when all seemed lost; And strangely, that’s a bigger win than any campaign milestone can achieve.

This article is penned by Jackie J. Thakkar, Creative Director & Screenwriter.

Disclaimer: The article features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the stance of the publication.

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