MAM
Haier’s Christmas film follows a cookie and a trail of belief
MUMBAI: Sometimes, Christmas magic doesn’t knock, it wanders. This festive season, Haier, in collaboration with SW Network, has released an AI-led holiday film that swaps spectacle for softness, reminding viewers that belief, not noise, is what truly keeps the season alive.
The film opens in a cosy home with a simple wish and an even simpler object, a Christmas cookie. When the cookie is whisked away by a mischievous squirrel, the story quietly slips into magical realism. What follows is an imaginative journey across worlds: from a treetop Christmas celebration to an underwater festive gathering, where a fish and a dolphin briefly become unlikely custodians of holiday cheer.
As the cookie travels from sea to sky, passed mid-air from dolphin to bird, the narrative gently stitches together land, ocean and atmosphere. The journey comes full circle when the bird returns the cookie to the very children who had wished for it, turning a small act of belief into a shared moment of wonder.
Rendered through visually rich, AI-powered storytelling, the film positions technology not as the star but as the silent enabler. The transitions between environments are fluid, dreamlike and intentionally understated, reinforcing the idea that Christmas magic is not loud or theatrical, it is quiet, hopeful and often arrives when least expected.
Beyond its festive warmth, the film subtly mirrors Haier’s forward-looking brand philosophy. By using AI to enhance emotion rather than overshadow it, the campaign suggests that innovation can deepen human connection, not dilute it. The magic here lies as much in restraint as in imagination.
In a season often defined by excess, Haier’s Christmas offering chooses a gentler path. Its message is simple but resonant, belief has a way of travelling across species, spaces and hearts and when you trust in it, Christmas always finds its way back home.
MAM
Lego brings Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappé, Vinicius together
Campaign clocks 314 million views ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 buzz.
MUMBAI: Four legends, one frame and not a single tackle in sight. Lego has pulled off a crossover few thought possible, uniting Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior in a single campaign ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 only this time, they’re building dreams brick by brick.
Titled “Everyone wants a piece”, the campaign features the quartet assembling a Lego version of the World Cup trophy, before placing miniature versions of themselves atop it, a playful nod to football’s ultimate prize. Shared widely across social media, the ad carries a pointed disclaimer: it is not AI-generated, a subtle but telling signal in an era where even reality is often questioned.
The numbers tell their own story. The campaign has already crossed 314 million views on Instagram across the players’ accounts, with fans hailing it as a rare, almost nostalgic moment particularly for the reunion of Messi and Ronaldo, whose last shared campaign ahead of the 2022 World Cup became one of the platform’s most-liked posts.
Beyond the film, Lego is extending the play with exclusive, player-themed sets tied to each of the four stars, part of a broader football-led programme designed to ride the global momentum building towards 2026. The idea, as echoed by the players themselves, leans into the parallels between football and play experimentation, creativity, failure, and triumph.
Messi described the sets as a way to bring on-pitch moments into an imaginative, hands-on world, while Ronaldo called the transformation into a Lego figure a rare honour, blending sport with storytelling. Vinícius, meanwhile, struck a more personal note, recalling childhood moments of building with Lego and framing creativity as a universal language that transcends borders.
The timing is no accident. With the 2026 World Cup set to run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, and featuring an expanded 48-team format, global anticipation is already building. Argentina, led by Messi, will enter as defending champions, adding another layer of intrigue.
For Lego, the campaign does more than celebrate football, it taps into its mythology. Because when icons become figurines and rivalries turn into play, the beautiful game finds a new kind of pitch. one built, quite literally, by hand.
