Max Is Dead, Long Live HBO Max: Warner Bros. Undoes A Mistake
Contents
Summary
- Max is going back to its original name, HBO Max, after two years.
- Executives promise increased focus on the high-quality, hard-hitting content HBO is known for.
- The course reversal could be a sign of corporate struggles, but is, at least, a remedy for a branding mistake the public ridiculed then and now.
What’s old is new again, time is a flat circle, there’s nothing new under the sun, and so on. Warner Bros. Discovery announced today a pivotal turn in TV and movie distribution as it rebrands the Max streaming service to HBO Max, the name it held for its first three years of existence.
The groundbreaking decision comes amid an upturn in WBD’s streaming subscribers and revenue. David Zaslav, WBD President and CEO, explains, “Today, we are bringing back HBO, the brand that represents the highest quality in media, to further accelerate that growth in the years ahead.” (Source: Warner Bros. Discovery via @DiscussingFilm on Twitter/X)
Continued success despite nebulous branding
And a reversal of course that just makes sense
Not exactly what Richard Dawkins meant when coining the word “meme”. Funny, though.
The 2023 rebranding to Max landed with a thud. The practically out-of-nowhere name change inspired a flood of memes, including some friendly banter from the Peacock streaming service’s social media team that, no, it would not follow suit by dropping any portion of its name.
They used to call it HBO, but people found that too popular. — Conan O’Brien
Warner Bros.’ streaming arm has done well for itself over the two years since, in spite of veering away from the juggernaut of brand recognition it was named for. So, it’s not as though returning to the HBO fold means the brand is struggling, let alone desperate. Nonetheless, amused internet denizens have taken the opportunity to explain this marketing milestone in image macro terms.
Source: Warner Bros. Discovery
WBD actually published this one, itself, in the official press release.
Lighthearted criticisms aside, the company knows the score. CEO Zaslav and JB Perrette, President and CEO of streaming, headlined a press release full of the glowing, forward-looking, not-quite-bombastic expressions of pride one might expect from a $22 billion company, but the social media team offered a sliver of self-aware humor regarding getting cold feet.
In the other corner, across from the memes, some analysts are taking the rebranding as a clear sign that 2022’s $43 billion WarnerMedia-Discovery merger has failed. Part of that rationale stems from WBD explaining in the announcement how it’s “re-focusing the strategy on the programming that is working best, like HBO, recent box-office movies, docuseries, certain reality series, and Max and local originals, and de-prioritizing other genres that drive less engagement or acquisition.”
While there is some truth to the newly formed conglomerate’s struggles (NBA distribution rights negotiations and games-as-a-service debacles come to mind), going back to basics makes fundamental sense, regardless of behind-the-scenes setbacks or PR-friendly wording. Broadly, the re-rebranding is clearly based on the five decades of brand recognition and respect under HBO’s belt. Considering the name is associated with all-time great series such as The Wire, The Sopranos, and Succession, HBO’s not a bad brand to hitch your wagon to. Especially if that’s what most people kept calling you all along.
