How Instagram’s skinny cinematic reels are stealing the scroll

Thin is in this September. In recent weeks, Instagram is seeing a new visual obsession: the 'thinnest video' trend. Also known as the 5120 x 1080 cinematic wide video trend, it turns ordinary vertical reels into long, slim cinematic strips by cutting off the top and bottom of standard footage. The result is a narrow, panoramic reel that stretches across the screen, creating a rare eye-catching format that varies from the standard vertical Reels and posts.

While creators are using it to repurpose old content or simply elevate aesthetics, brands are also getting in on the action. KitKat India, for instance, leveraged the trend to play with dimension, nudging users to take a break from endless scrolling. Its video featured the message “A break can fit anywhere”, as a single KitKat piece slid across the screen.

Closer to home, Hougang Mall in Singapore embraced the format to highlight quiet, everyday moments such as elderlies sitting on a bench, a local treat being made with care, and a father returning home from work carrying his daughter's schoolbag. The thin frame amplified intimacy, drawing viewers into small, relatable stories.

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So, what is it about the trend that users are loving? For starters, the ultra-wide format is disruptive, creating a sense of curiosity and novelty in a sea of vertical Reels. According to Fiona Wai, senior strategist and post creative strategist, VaynerMedia APAC, the format has a 'curiosity factor', where users often try to decode the purpose of the format. She added: 

The exaggerated width immediately breaks the scroll pattern and almost feels 'wrong'. This is why it works as a hook. 

Adding to her point, Hajar Yusuf, head of digital experience at Naga DDB Tribal frames the trend as a part of a layered content strategy. "People are always looking for new ways to stand out in an endless scroll of sameness. Certain formats are designed to reach new followers, while others engage existing one," she explained, adding that the horizontal crop is tricky, but allows creativity to come in. This is especially since social media has never been bound by ratios. 

Over time, users have seen everything from 16:9 to 1:1 to 4:5 and 4:3. One thing that never goes out of style, however, is finding different ways to tell a story. "This format is just another canvas. You can lean into the cinematic feel or push the boundaries of creativity. It all depends on how you use the space," said Hajar.

Building on this, Florence Kong, founder and managing director of We Glow HK, said the format creates a 'wow' factor that vertical Reels may struggle to deliver. "This format is perfect for showcasing expansive landscapes, panoramic cityscapes or can be used for dramatic reveals of products or to create a high-fashion, editorial feel for campaign videos," she said. 

That said, while the ultra-wide ratio borrows from cinema and can make content feel dramatic, it undoubtedly reduces the space brands can work with. "The trend makes storytelling more cinematic, but there are creative limitations to fit the frame size. This may or may not work to the brand's advantage," said Alvin Kok, managing director and co-founder of Actstitude.

Realistically, with such a small frame, brands can't fit many text layers, graphics or product demos. "This new look appears to be a 'content breaker', While it is a great attention grabber, the story may not be properly communicated through this," added Kok. 

Roni Chik, group managing director, CMRS Group also presents a differing view, calling it "nonsense": 

It defies the original rules of cinematics. But in the world of social media, it makes sense to play with nonsense.

To Chik, the format doesn't allow for products or scenes to be curated beautifully without squeezing the eyes, going as far to claim that the format is like "playing peekaboo" with babies.

One size, fits all?

Not all brands are created equal when it comes to leveraging the 5120 x 1080 ultra-wide format. However, almost any brand can make the trend work if they approach it with creativity. Wai pointed out that the trend is especially useful for brands trying to stand out in crowded feeds. "Meme and pop culture accounts are using it well because the odd format makes their humour land harder," she said.

"Photographers, fashion, gaming, automotive and travel creators can also lean into it because the panoramic feel shows off their visuals," Wai added, emphasising that for brands, it's less about it being a long-term format and more about signalling that they're quick to experiment and be part of the conversation while the trend is still fresh.

The opportunity extends beyond lifestyle and consumer categories. Abdul Sani Abdul Murad, group CMO at RHB Banking Group, illustrates how even traditionally dry sectors such as banking can 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's take on the trend featured a blue strip with red, white and blue abstract shapes bouncing, sliding and swirling onto the screen. Accompanying the visual are texts that read "Together we adapt, reinvent, transform, reshape and innovate." 

"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," he explained. 

The ultra-wide debate

Fashion trends can cycle from supermodel-thin to Kardashian curves, but social media trends move even faster — born and dying within weeks. So, what about the 5120 x 1080 ultra-wide format? According to Abdul Sani, the format is unlikely to become the new standard, but the underlying impulse of novelty and surprise will endure. 

"Formats are fickle but the impulse behind it will stay," said Abdul Sani. "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 believes that the format will persist as a niche creative tool rather than becoming a mainstream, dominant format. "It is more than a passing fad, but less than a permanent shift in strategy," said Kong. 

Others see potential beyond the short-term attention grab. Hajar holds a torch for the ultra-wide format, pointing out that it could 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, adding that:

Until now, extreme horizontals were mostly used for DOOH. Now that it’s entering the social space, it opens up room to experiment and build new types of storytelling.

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