Zoom's virtual background contest was recently started by the video conferencing tool. Ben Peter, a senior engineer at Zapier, won the contest in March 2020 with his creative and elaborate backgrounds. He discovered Zoom's feature in 2018 and initially used it to create a green screen background, which he later refined over time. The evolution of his backgrounds was a self-expressive way for him to express himself during calls. Ben has shared his tips on how to make a successful Zoom virtual background, including using Google Slides, considering aspect ratio, getting lighting right, and even drinking Diet Mountain Dew. With the recent addition of video backgrounds, Ben hopes to up his game and share his knowledge with others.