Now that HBO has revealed the launch date for HBO Max, which is 27th May, its parent company WarnerMedia has launched a media blitzkrieg to highlight what makes the upcoming streaming platform different from its competitors. And of course, the focus is on the long and illustrious history of Warner Bros. and HBO, in the film and TV space.
The focus, however, is also on what’s new and original at HBO Max, so that viewers do not take it as just a grander version of HBO. The company has launched a series of psychedelic videos that incorporate iconic moments from marquee movies and shows from both Warner and HBO, as well as from the external content it has bought streaming rights for. Along with these, the video also shares shots from the upcoming originals from HBO Max, such as Anna Kendrick’s Love Life, and more.
The video aptly conveys its tagline – ‘Where HBO meets so much more.’
So there are clips from Game of Thrones, Wonder Woman, Looney Tunes, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The Wizard of Oz, Sesame Street, Gone With The Wind, When Harry Met Sally, to scenes from third party content such as The Big Bang Theory, Friends and much more.
The voice-over says —”There’s a place where the Witch of the West meets the King in the North…. and a Fresh Prince meets a Dark Knight”. And this —”It’s a place where a Barry meets a Carrie meets a Harry who met a Sally…..”, with shots of Bill Hader from the movie Barrie, Carrie from Sex and the City, and of course, both Harry and Sally, from When Harry Met Sally.
The messaging that the video wants to convey is about the vast content available to suit every taste, age-group and sensibilities, while leaning into nostalgia.
Shares Chris Spadaccini, Chief Marketing Officer, WarnerMedia Entertainment & Direct-to-Consumer, “The brand’s tone aims to read as warmer and more approachable than HBO’s. It’s a balancing act that requires showing the connective tissue with the HBO brand without making HBO Max seem too similar to HBO itself.”
About the content, Spadaccini adds, “We don’t need to beat our chest about quality, because you see it right there on the screen, but what we do need to do is explain that HBO Max is more than HBO, not more of HBO. That’s why our messaging strategy needs to be simple, and it needs to be expository, and we landed on ‘where HBO meets so much more.’ HBO Max is designed to be expansive, and it’s going to offer new content for different members of the family who have different tastes, but it is still evoking that premium quality that HBO represents.”
Have a look at one of the videos here –
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