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
Time brings TIME100 Next franchise to India with Reliance
List to spotlight 100 emerging leaders, gala set for December 2026 in Mumbai.
MUMBAI: It’s about time India’s next wave got a global spotlight and now, it’s on the list. New York-headquartered Time is expanding its TIME100 Next franchise to India, partnering with Reliance Industries Limited to launch TIME100 Next India, its first international extension of the rising leaders platform. The announcement was made at the Time100 Gala in New York by Jessica Sibley and Nita Mukesh Ambani, signalling a strategic push to tap into India’s growing influence across sectors.
The India edition will recognise 100 emerging leaders from the country and the global Indian diaspora, spanning business, science, sports, arts and social impact. The list will be curated by Time’s editorial team and published online, continuing the franchise’s focus on identifying individuals shaping the future.
The initiative will culminate in a gala event scheduled for December 2026 at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, anchoring the platform within India’s cultural and business ecosystem.
TIME’s broader Time100 franchise has steadily expanded its global footprint since 2021 through events and impact-led initiatives. Executives noted that India’s growing pool of influential voices and innovators made it a natural next step for the platform’s international ambitions.
For Reliance, the partnership aligns with its broader push to support emerging talent and ideas on a global stage. For Time, it marks a timely bet on India not just as a market, but as a talent engine shaping the next chapter of global leadership.
