Max was an all-time bad rebrand

Max, previously HBO Max, is now HBO Max again. Warner Bros. Discovery introduced the change in the present day, rolling again one of many clumsiest rebrands in historical past from a streaming service that’s had greater than its share of clumsy concepts.

Proper from the beginning, it appeared like everybody exterior of Warner Bros. Discovery knew the change was a foul one. The primary takes have been brutal, like this take from Design Issues host Debbie Millman in a Fast Company story:

“I’m utterly bewildered by the HBO Max rebrand,” says Debbie Millman, a designer, model marketing consultant, and host of the Design Issues podcast. “HBO took 4 a long time of status and casually tossed all of it right into a dumpster, lit a match, and cheered because it burned.”

In accordance with the corporate, the issue with HBO Max was the HBO half. There is a vital lesson right here, which is that your model shouldn’t be what you name your streaming service. Your model is the best way your clients really feel about no matter you make. On this case, the emotions are fairly clear–this can be a dangerous concept.

Digs on the rebrand are littered all over. Like an Engadget story headlined, “Certain, ‘Max’ sounds dumb, however HBO Max wanted a reboot.” Or this Vulture quiz headlined, “Is This Streaming Service Actual or Did We Make It Up,” which jokes that Max is “a straight-up correct identify that would belong to precise individuals you already know.”

Quick ahead to March. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos even acquired in on the motion, calling out the absurdity of HBO’s wackadoo rebrands. Right here’s what he mentioned when Variety asked about WBD dropping “HBO” from “HBO Max”:

It was a shock! We might at all times watch what HBO was doing, and at one level that they had HBO, HBO Go, HBO Now and HBO Max. And I mentioned, “After they’re critical, all these names will go away, and it’ll simply be HBO.” I’d have by no means guessed HBO would have gone away. They put all that effort into one factor that they will inform the patron — it ought to be HBO.

After all it ought to be HBO! Everyone knows what HBO is! To place it in WBD head of streaming JB Perrette’s own words after the rebrand, HBO is “a model that has been constructed over 5 a long time.” It’s the community that introduced us The Sopranos and The Wire. The wonderful Barry. It’s the place everybody tuned in to look at Sport of Thrones.

Max had none of that, however that was the purpose, in response to Perrette. HBO was recognized for its edginess, and WBD needed its streaming service to be extra of a family-friendly affair. What seemingly by no means occurred to it, although, was that it changed HBO with a reputation that hasn’t introduced anybody something, ever. WBD threw out the infant with the bathwater.

To its credit score, WBD is dealing with the swap again to HBO Max in one of the best ways potential: by charging instantly at it with all the boldness of Wile E. Coyote chasing the Roadrunner right into a pretend tunnel.

Right here’s the official Max account on Instagram lampooning itself:

And the official HBO X account:

In the meantime, the Max account on X went with a pope joke:

According to Variety in 2023, Perrette mentioned one of many causes WBD made the swap was as a result of it “was quick, tight. Says one thing common.” He added that he and the opposite senior execs have been already utilizing “Max” as shorthand for HBO Max. It’s vindicating now to see the corporate appear to confess that perhaps it went just a little far by complicated their workplace slang with model recognition. HBO is again — let’s hope the standard stays, too.