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The IMDb Max logo in black and white, with the words 'IMDb' and 'max' in stylized font, stacked with 'IMDb' on top and 'max' below.
A replica of the Iron Throne from the television series 'Game of Thrones,' made of swords and metal.

“Free Radicals is one of those rare partners that think strategically, execute beautifully and systematically, while always focusing on helping our brand grow.”

Shauna Spenley
Chief Marketing Officer

HBO Max logo in black letters
Text in large black and white font that reads: "A COMEBACK TOLD IN THREE ACTS."

When Warner Bros. Discovery approached us, they were in the midst of a difficult decision. Consumer data revealed a clear insight: consumers overwhelmingly subscribe to Max for high-quality HBO content. Leadership had a choice to make: save face and stick with MAX, or make the reversal back to HBO and give the people what they want. Fortunately, with a bit of persuasion, they chose the latter and asked Free Radicals to develop the creative strategy, brand identity system, and global rollout plan.

Act I
Going back… to the future.

For streaming networks, MORE IS BETTER. They want disposable, fast-food entertainment for everyone. Quantity beats quality, so Warner Bros. Discovery launched Max as a standalone brand, dropping HBO and cramming their entire catalog into one cluttered mess. Pretty crazy.

In our opinion,  Max's strategy backfired—tanking viewership, brand erosion, and confusion. They suffocated the golden goose and alienated consumers who came for HBO's content. We aimed to define what makes HBO "quality" because, ultimately, BETTER IS BETTER.

Diagram showing key components of HBO Max marketing strategy in a circular layout. Central HBO Max logo surrounded by segments labeled Content, Executive Statements, PR, Customer Communications, Funnel Marketing, Social Voice, Merch, Product Experience.

The brand’s competitive edge lies in its legacy and continued commitment to crafting the highest quality entertainment.

HBO Max is a values-driven promise, consistently delivered at every touchpoint.

HBO Max.

LEGACY
ART-DRIVEN
CURATED
SUSTAINED QUALITY
CULTURE-MOVING
LEADING
SHARP

Others.

NOVELTY
TECH-DRIVEN
BIG BOX
HIT AND MISS
DISPOSABLE
FOLLOWING
UNFOCUSED

White text on a black background stating: "BET YOU DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING."

HBO Max differentiates itself through quality, exemplified by its signature, complex, layered storytelling. Mind-blowing plot twists and misdirections, like the Red Wedding or the Sopranos' ending, create culturally resonant, WTF moments that keep audiences thrilled and anticipating more.

Act II
THE HBO-IFICATION OF MAX.

Moving from ideas to execution, we infused HBO's DNA into Max to extend the brand's halo and elevate the perception of quality entertainment. 

The result is a confident minimalism that lets best-in-class content shine without interference. Inspired by premium luxury rather than outdated studio models, the brand identity distinguished Max in the crowded landscape while creating an infinitely functional system, setting the stage for HBO's return.

CONCEPT 1:
GLASS

A large billboard with three sections advertising a TV streaming service, Max. The left section features a woman in medieval costume with a dragon, referring to 'Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon.' The middle section shows five people on a beach, waving, titled 'The White Lotus.' The right section shows a woman talking on the phone with a big smile, wearing a hat and bracelets, with text 'And just like that.' The brand logo 'max' and slogan 'Hits Different.' are displayed across the sections.
A dark background with colorful blurred bokeh lights, overlaid with the text 'hex' in transparent large letters.
A close-up of a man with curly hair and facial hair, wearing a brown jacket, against a dark background with warm lighting and blurry lights. The text overlay reads 'The Last of Us' and 'max hits different.'

CONCEPT 2:
IN CHARACTER

A scene from Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon, showing a man with long white hair sitting on a throne made of swords. The text overlays include 'Game of Thrones,' 'House of the Dragon,' 'Max,' and phrases about streaming all episodes.
A promotional poster for the show "The Last of Us" Season 2, featuring stylized letters made of mushrooms and fungi against a textured green and dark background, with the text "It just hits different" and the premiere date, April 13.

CONCEPT 3:
THE CLOSE-UP

Collage of promotional images from various movies and TV shows, each with the phrase "HITS DIFFERENT" and the "max" logo, featuring characters and scenes from movies like "House of the Dragon," "The Last of Us," "March Madness," "The White Lotus," "Dune," and "Peacemaker."
Billboard advertisement featuring a scene from a basketball game with a player in a Connecticut jersey celebrating, and a man with a stern expression wearing a headset. The text on the billboard reads 'HITS DIFFERENT.' and the logo 'max' appears twice.

The new design works like a lens—the logo becomes a window into the best moments. The content and art take center stage to tell the story, not buried under distraction.

We borrowed from iconic filmmaking: light, glass, depth, blur. All to accentuate HBO Max’s quality storytelling. Great stories thrive in great characters and captivating moments, while great brands highlight aspects that only they can own.

Promotional poster for Max streaming service featuring characters from Euphoria, Batman, and Furiosa with the tagline "All Killer. No Filler."
Poster for HBO series "Euphoria" featuring a woman with curly hair and glitter tears, with neon lights and blurred carnival rides in the background, and the text "All Kille" partially visible.
A poster for the movie The Batman featuring a masked Batman in a red and black costume with a serious expression, set against a dark background with concentric circles.
Promotional poster for the movie Furiosa, a Mad Max saga, featuring a fierce woman with reddish hair holding a weapon, with text indicating streaming availability starting April 2.

EVOLVING BRAND COLOR.

HBO logo on a textured gray background
Blue background with the word 'max' in white lowercase letters and a stylized 'o' in the middle of the 'a'.

HBO Static Grey

Max Cobal Blue

+

=

Medium Slate

We synthesized Max and HBO's visual identities through thoughtful color theory, creating a refined palette that preserves brand equity while conveying cinematic sophistication and premium positioning.

A moody, Luxury-inspired color palette.

The image is blank with a white background and no objects or text.

White Hot

True Black

Mid Slate

Deep

Lite

UNIFYING content with brand STRATEGY.

Poster for the HBO original series 'The Last of Us' featuring a rugged man with a serious expression and a young woman holding a rifle, set against a post-apocalyptic cityscape with destroyed cars and overgrown vegetation, with text indicating the series returns on April 13 on Max.
Poster for the HBO original film 'Mountain Head,' featuring four men standing in front of a modern glass building with mountain scenery visible inside. The men are looking at their phones. Text on the poster includes the film title, 'Humanity is in their hands,' and release date, May 31, on Max.
Post for the 'Peacemaker' series showing a young man in a helmet and superhero costume touching foreheads with an eagle, with background of blue sky and trees, and information about the premiere date and platform.
Promotional poster for the TV series 'The Last of Us' featuring Joel and Ellie standing side by side with serious expressions. Joel is on the left, wearing a dark jacket, and Ellie is on the right, wearing a plaid shirt. She has a tattoo on her left arm and is holding a switchblade. The background shows a pair of large, leafless, twisted trees. The poster includes text indicating the series returns on April 13 on Max, with additional text saying 'Every Path Has a Price'.
Six women walking across a city street at sunset, dressed in fashionable clothing. The text says "Summer in the City" and promotes a new season of "And Just Like That..." on Max starting May 29.
A promotional poster for the HBO series "The Righteous Gemstones" featuring animated religious characters wielding swords, with a central angelic figure with large white wings and a halo, and a banner above that reads "Raising Holy Hell One Last Time."

Act III
BRINGING HBO back where
It belongs.

The word 'max' in white lowercase letters against a black background.

HBO Max's rebrand puts their unparalleled stories front and center. 

While other streamers focus on creating disposable, mediocre entertainment for everyone, HBO Max is committed to delivering high-quality, mind-blowing, and engaging entertainment that keeps you talking long after you've finished watching. It's about substance over quantity—content that doesn't just fill time but creates cultural moments.

HBO Max distinguishes itself by curating experiences rather than cramming catalogs, proving that in a world obsessed with more, often BETTER IS BETTER.

The HBO Max homepage featuring a large banner of two basketball players from the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers in action.
Close-up of a smartphone home screen displaying the HBO Max app icon among other app icons, with the top right corner showing a Wi-Fi and battery indicator.
A collage of promotional posters for various HBO Max shows. The posters feature characters and themes from 'House of the Dragon', 'And Just Like That...', 'The Penguin', 'Mickey 17', and 'Beetlejuice'. Each poster displays the show's title, streaming or release date, and options to watch the trailer.
A promotional graphic for HBO Max showing a woman in a dark setting shining a flashlight on a zombie in the top section. The middle section features a scene with a man looking into the distance with a blue sky background. The bottom section shows a woman and a man outdoors, with the woman wearing a pink headband and the man behind her, blurred, with the word "Companion" written across in white cursive.
An advertisement for HBO Max featuring a smartphone displaying the HBO Max app interface with a show called "Rage" on the screen. The image includes sections promoting the app's features, such as enabling notifications and browsing shows like "Home," "Series," "Movies," "HBO," and "Sports." The background has a dark theme, and there are text and buttons encouraging viewers to download the app.
A promotional poster for the TV series Superman on HBO Max featuring Superman in a military-style costume with a red cape, standing confidently with a determined look, and a

EPILOGUE:
THE INTERNET GOES APESHIT,
AND HBO MAX JUMPS right IN.

HBO Max logo reintroduced with text 'This Summer' on a dark background, featuring a woman in a black suit standing at the lower left.
Close-up of two screens displaying the HBO Max logo with the word 'max' in white and blue, and the HBO Max logo on a device screen, with a focus on branding.
Screenshot of a New York Times article headline about HBO Max rebranding back to HBO Max, with a promotional image of HBO Max's upcoming streaming service, featuring a sunset over water and the HBO Max logo.
Screenshot of an online article webpage titled 'The HBO Max rebrand is not as dumb as you think'. The header includes links for sign-in, register, bulletin sign-up, subscribe, and team licenses. Navigation menu contains categories like Latest, Creative Work, Top Brands & Agencies, Experiences, The Knowledge, Events, Jobs, and a search icon. There are trending topics with red text, such as Features & Analysis, School Reports, 40 Over 40, Market Reports, and Podcasts.
Collage of various HBO Max logos on graph paper background with drawn black circles and lines.
A man in a blue suit walking on stage with a large screen behind him displaying posters of HBO original series, including Euphoria, Curb Your Enthusiasm, House of the Dragon, The Last of Us, and The White Lotus, during a presentation.
A shirtless man with dark hair lying on a bed with patterned sheets, expressing shock or distress, while holding his chest. The text on the image reads "We were on a break!" and it has the HBO logo in the bottom right corner.
A cartoon image of Superman dressed in his iconic costume, pointing at two other Superman figures with red capes and costumes, each holding a pointing finger. The background is split, with the left side showing a WB Discovery vehicle and the right side showing stacked boxes. The image includes the logos of HBO Now, HBO Max, and Max, and the HBO GO logo in the top right corner.
A screenshot of a tweet from HBO showing different streaming service logos at the top. Below, there is an image from a scene in a show featuring two women with dark hair, one with a slicked-back style and dramatic makeup, the other with a bob and natural makeup. The woman with dramatic makeup is speaking, with the subtitle "Bitch, you better be joking."
A man with a beard and closed eyes lying shirtless with HBO Max logo on his chest, in a dark setting, with a post from HBO Max announcing the new app and update.
A black crow perched on the edge of a water tower with white smoke coming out of the chimney, against a blue sky with a few clouds. A news banner at the bottom states, "BREAKING NEWS: WHITE SMOKE SEEN FROM WARNER BROS. WATER TOWER."
A four-panel cartoon of Homer Simpson in a grassy yard, with labels 'HBO Max' and 'MAX' in different panels, illustrating the changing branding of streaming services.
Three scuba divers in a metal submersible frame preparing to dive into the ocean, with two individuals in the foreground holding onto the frame, and the sky over the water in the background.
Text saying 'IT'S NOT T.V. T'S HBO, BRU.'
The HBO Max logo in black and white with bold, stylized text.

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