‘India’s Got Latent’ returns: Will brands bet on Samay Raina again?

Samay Raina’s YouTube show India’s Got Latent is back—and so are the videos featuring brand integrations that had once gone dark. After a period of digital silence following a controversy earlier this year, the show's content has resurfaced on a newly public channel, India's Got Latent Clips, quietly amassing over 500 videos and nearly half a million subscribers.

Brands like Bold Care, Vastrado, Veeba, Spinny and Pop UPI—all of whom had previously partnered with Raina or the show—have found themselves back in the spotlight as old content circulates again. This raises the obvious question: will they collaborate again?

exchange4media reached out to these brands. While responses were either delayed or non-committal, the silence itself reflected a shift from earlier, clearer positions. At the time of the controversy, some of these names had privately expressed a no-collaboration stance, distancing themselves from the comedy content altogether. But with the show regaining traction and fan loyalty remaining intact, the brand dilemma is back on the table.

"He Gets People to Share Branded Content—That’s Rare"

Sankalp Samant, Co-founder of Idiotic Media, believes it’s worth re-evaluating the opportunity. “Brands don’t get reach on their own platforms because their content is boring and not share-worthy,” he said. “Meanwhile, Samay has built an audience that is young, skeptical, and allergic to hard-sell ads—yet he gets them to not just watch, but share branded content. That’s rare.”

According to Samant, collaborations like Vastrado had their fastest-selling quarter post-integration, while Spinny became part of cultural conversations. “If your brand wants to be part of pop culture—not just rent a corner of it—you collaborate with artists like Samay.”

Vastrado, for instance, reportedly saw a 150% overnight revenue boost and a 20-fold increase in website traffic following the collab. The episode also trended at #1 on YouTube and garnered 28 million views, according to a post by the brand.

He outlines the sweet spot: D2C disruptors, consumer tech, food delivery, personal care, fintech—essentially, any category whose audience is under 35 and breathing memes. But Samant also offers a caveat: “If your brand can’t handle being roasted or your compliance team needs six approvals for a one-line tweet, this may not be your playground.”

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"Two Highly Engaged Fanbases and Unmatched Virality"

Rohit Agarwal, Founder & Director of Alpha Zegus, said that brands should not forget Raina’s impressive engagement metrics. Channels similar to his often have 15–20% higher engagement rates than industry benchmarks. “Samay’s strong presence in both the comedy and chess communities give brands access to two highly engaged, loyal fanbases, which is a unique value add,” he said. “With his India’s Got Latent clips resurfacing, brands now have a fresh chance to tap into his long-form plus clip-based virality.”

According to Agarwal, Raina is a great fit for brands that thrive on personality-driven storytelling. This includes FMCG and snacking brands (e.g., chips, beverages, coffee chains) that want to create fun, repeat-viewable integrations; gaming and tech brands, especially in peripherals, gadgets, and apps that appeal to late-night digital communities; fintech and crypto players looking for trustable but quirky voices to explain complex products; and OTT platforms or indie films looking for meme-worthy campaign traction.

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Agarwal also noted that brands must be ready for his approach. “He isn't your typical ‘3 reels in 10 days’ creator. It’s about long-form virality and community trust over rigid deliverables.”

Latent Clips had been set to private post-controversy but quietly returned online recently. With over 1.6M YouTube subscribers and 1.2M followers on Instagram, Raina's numbers haven't taken a real hit. The India’s Got Latent episodes—featuring roast-style humour and user-generated participation—have racked up over 4.3 million views across just 12 videos.

That kind of performance makes the show hard to ignore. And while most of the older brand integrations were created before the controversy, their current visibility is driving renewed impressions—without any new spend from the brands.

"He Just Knows How to Elevate a Brand"

Tanmay Bhat, a face behind many creative ad campaigns, once shared high praise for Raina. “At a deeper level, he understands mass manipulation, crowd control, and brand building. Very few people operate at that level—Zakir Khan is one, and I think Samay is right up there too,” he said in a podcast. “He’s someone who just knows how to elevate a brand. He thinks in equations: if X, then what? X plus Y equals what? He’s excellent at it. There are very few people I’d consider as peers when it comes to pure, idea-based thinking—and Samay is definitely one of them.”

What Should Brands Consider Before Re-Entering the Latent Universe?

Before stepping back into the India’s Got Latent universe, brands need to evaluate four key factors. First is brand safety—the show is intentionally irreverent and often controversial, so clear guardrails must be in place. Second, creative control must be approached with caution. “You’re buying into a format that thrives on chaos and humour,” advised Samant.

“If you over-manage, you’ll kill the magic.” Third, ensure audience alignment—the show caters to Gen Z and meme-literate millennials. If your target group falls outside that bracket, the messaging may not land. And finally, prioritise authentic integration. “Don’t just appear—integrate. Audiences can sniff out a forced collab in seconds,” Samant added. As the show finds its rhythm again, brands willing to embrace its tone and unpredictability may just find themselves in the middle of India’s next viral moment.

As India’s Got Latent finds its momentum again, one thing is clear—brands may no longer be able to ignore the cultural impact Samay Raina continues to wield, even after a stumble.