Short-form video content, especially Instagram Reels, is growing rapidly, and marketers are using this medium more and more in their Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) strategy. The effectiveness, difficulties, and strategic importance of reels in boosting user-generated content (UGC), influencer credibility, emotional engagement, and brand storytelling are examined in this study's organized literature analysis. Four main themes surfaced after more than 20 peer-reviewed articles that were indexed in Web of Science, ABDC, and Scopus were examined: Reels' emotional storytelling increases audience engagement and brand affinity; platform quality and trust affect consumer interaction; influencer marketing and user-generated content (UGC) boost credibility and buy intent; and content fatigue and message fragmentation continue to be issues. The results are contextualized by references to actual Amul and Zomato brand campaigns. The analysis emphasizes the necessity for balanced tactics that blend creative expression with consistent brand messaging across digital channels, highlighting important research gaps and suggesting future approaches.