What’s the meaning behind Max?
Though rumors swirled for months ahead of the announcement that the service would indeed be named Max, Spagnoletto said the company went through a lengthy name exploration process in partnership with several agencies.
Warner Bros. Discovery looked at possibilities that included everything from keeping HBO Max to something completely different.
In ending up with Max, Spagnoletto explained that equity had already been built into the HBO Max name, but the company still wanted to signal change.
“It didn’t need to be a sharp left turn because the product is not a sharp left turn. It’s an evolution of HBO Max,” he said.
The new typography, Max Sans, is aimed to give the service a “distinct visual voice,” and the changes extend to the intro and mnemonic of former Max originals, which have been redesigned to “feel more approachable.”
“Max, like any name, is what you make of it,” he added, noting that the name is short, and from an SEO and brand perspective is relatable.
For Warner Bros. Discovery, the new name acknowledges the company’s history while still looking ahead.
“It had a lot of things that we thought were just right for us,” Spagnoletto said. “It had enough of the past, but it also had enough to help bring us into the future.”
The company is hopeful that by dropping the HBO name, the new brand will encapsulate the full breadth of content the combined service will offer and not stretch the HBO brand beyond its capacity.
What’s the messaging?
With the new tagline, “The one to watch,” Warner Bros. Discovery has a three-phase marketing rollout planned.
The first stage began last week with the announcement of the name and will continue this week with digital, static and out-of-home campaigns across Los Angeles and New York.
Second, talent-hosted anthemic creative, designed to connect with consumers, will launch in early May on OOH, TV, radio, digital and social.
And just before launch, the campaign will continue with media across all platforms.
“The entire premise of the merger and the product in our campaign is that consumers watch different things at different times,” said Spagnoletto. “We have some of the most iconic brands, franchises, characters; the next part is how do we tell consumers that without shoving it down their throats, but letting them feel it more than hear it.”
Though the campaign will last only 10 weeks, Spagnoletto knows a new brand takes far longer to solidify itself in culture.
“Our job is to keep going at it and fine-tuning until we start to resonate and build that love with our consumers,” he said.
