MAM
CBS features Rudolph the reindeer in X’mas promos
MUMBAI: US broadcaster CBS has announced that it will use one of the iconic characters of the Christmas holiday season, Rudolph the reindeer in a new Animagic on-air promotional campaign.
The campaign has a behind the scenes theme and features Rudolph’s North Pole friends and an array of 3-D caricatures of stars of CBS’ shows.
It airs tonight 30 November 2005 on CBS
Rudolph and Sam the Snowman are joined in their Animagic world by similarly hand-crafted likenesses of CBS stars including Jon Cryer, Marg Helgenberger CSI, Kevin James, talk show host David Letterman, William Petersen CSI and Charlie Sheen. They participated in holiday promotional spots. In the promos, the actors portray their characters from their shows.
The 8 to10 inch tall sculpted wax models of the CBS personalities in the promotional spots were based on a series of sketches of each star. Costumers then fashioned appropriately styled fabric garments for each of the tiny figures. The retro stop-motion filming process to create the 30-second promo took 12 weeks to complete.
The promos start with Rudolph excitedly relaying to Sam the Snowman that “This is going to be the best holiday ever.” However, after someone suddenly yells, “Cut! That’s a wrap,” the camera pans back to reveal the twist: Rudolph and Sam the Snowman have been shooting the familiar North Pole scene in a CBS studio in sunny California.
This is the second time that CBS is using Rudolph in its promos. Last year’s Rudolph Holiday Campaign won a Promax Gold for Best Holiday Image Campaign.Meanwhile, the holiday special, Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer is in its 41st year.
Brands
Wipro hires 7,500 freshers, withholds FY27 hiring outlook
Profit rises to Rs 3,522 crore, Rs 15,000 crore buyback announced.
MUMBAI- Hiring may be on, but visibility is off, Wipro is adding talent even as it pauses the crystal ball. The company hired 7,500 freshers in FY26 but stopped short of offering any hiring outlook for FY27, underscoring the uncertainty gripping the IT services sector as it pivots towards an AI-led operating model.
The disclosure came alongside its fourth-quarter earnings, where management flagged volatile demand conditions and refrained from committing to future workforce expansion. Chief human resources officer Saurabh Govil noted that over 3,000 of the total hires were onboarded in the March quarter alone, signalling continued intake despite a lack of clarity on deployment pipelines.
This divergence active hiring without forward guidance reflects a broader industry pattern where talent acquisition continues even as deal conversions remain uneven and client spending cycles stretch. Wipro expects its IT services revenue for the June quarter to range between a decline of 2 per cent and flat growth sequentially in constant currency terms, reinforcing near-term caution.
Chief executive officer Srini Pallia pointed to artificial intelligence as both a disruptor and an opportunity. He said evolving client priorities are pushing the company towards outcome-driven engagements, with Wipro increasingly focusing on a services-as-software model through its AI Native Business and Platforms unit. The shift marks a structural change from traditional headcount-led growth to AI-enabled delivery frameworks.
The company has already committed over $1 billion to its AI ecosystem, with investors closely watching how these investments translate into revenue. For now, the numbers present a mixed picture. Net profit rose sequentially to Rs 3,522 crore, while revenue grew 3 per cent to Rs 24,236 crore. However, core IT services performance remained under pressure, with full-year revenue declining 0.3 per cent in dollar terms and 1.6 per cent in constant currency.
Large deal bookings offered a counterpoint, rising 45.4 per cent year-on-year to $7.8 billion, highlighting a widening gap between deal wins and actual revenue realisation. On a quarterly basis, IT services revenue slipped 1.2 per cent sequentially, signalling continued softness in execution.
Margins, however, told a more optimistic story. Operating margins expanded to 17.3 per cent in the fourth quarter, up from 14.8 per cent in the previous quarter, reflecting improved cost discipline. That said, the company cautioned that upcoming wage hikes and the ramp-up of large deals could exert pressure going forward.
Attrition stood at 13.8 per cent in the March quarter, indicating stabilisation after periods of elevated churn. Alongside its earnings, Wipro also announced a Rs 15,000 crore share buyback, reinforcing its focus on shareholder returns, with a payout ratio of 88 per cent over the past three years.
Taken together, the numbers capture a company in transition investing in AI, maintaining hiring momentum, but navigating a demand environment where growth is uneven and visibility remains limited.
