"Industry Innovators 2023: 10 Brands Redefining Event Marketing" is sponsored by Gladiator Productions, a new kind of production company igniting magic in the arena of live events, entertainment, and experience. We consistently partner with our clients by providing high-touch service through every step of the production process.
The Basics: The subscription-based streaming service, formerly known as HBO Max, recently underwent a rebranding following the Warner Bros.-Discovery merger. Combining content from HBO Max and discovery+ legacy platforms, Max is now home to both HBO Originals, Warner Bros. films, and Max Originals, as well as programming from brands like HGTV, Food Network, Discovery Channel, TLC, ID, and more.
It’s unclear how (if at all) this new image will affect the streamer’s event strategy going forward, but with a slew of new content on the horizon, including a Max Original Harry Potter series, its experiential marketing will undoubtedly continue to engage audiences.
“Our marketing approach for all HBO and Max campaigns has always been to put the same level of craft, storytelling, creativity, and innovation into our marketing that our viewers expect from the programming,” said Pia Chaozon Barlow, EVP of Originals marketing for Max.
Most Innovative Experiences: As the brand is known to do, HBO Max went big promoting its Game of Thrones prequel series during San Diego Comic-Con in July 2022 with “The House of the Dragon: The Dragon’s Den” experience that featured a 24-by-40-foot castle facade, bringing fans back to the world of Westeros. It also included the launch of the DracARrys AR app, which enabled attendees to “raise” their own dragon at home.
More recently, Max hosted the “And Just Like That…It’s Been 25 Years, A Sex and the City Experience” in New York to commemorate 25 years of the iconic series and celebrate the upcoming season two premiere of And Just Like That.... The pop-up event featured a recreation of Carrie’s brownstone stoop and apartment, including a photo op in front of her laptop, as well as some of the best fashion from both shows. Barlow said the experience was a way to remind “fans of the monumental impact the show and its characters had on culture, style, and fashion.”
The “And Just Like That…It’s Been 25 Years, A Sex and the City Experience” included a photo op in front of Carrie’s laptop, where visitors could gaze out a replica of her apartment window.Photo: Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Max®
Lessons Learned: “With multisensory, multidimensional engagement, [audiences] are able to feel emotions and create memories, which in turn create better brand recall. It’s not enough to just hit audiences with TV spots or a quick scroll in [their] feed; fans want to engage, to feel connected, to feel like they are part of a community and a shared experience.”
In July 2022, as part of its global House of the Dragon marketing campaign, HBO Max transported San Diego Comic-Con guests to a Targaryen-ruled Westeros with an immersive space called "House of the Dragon: The Dragon’s Den."Photo: Courtesy of HBO Max
To kick off the new season of the Max Original comedy series, The Sex Lives of College Girls, HBO Max hosted a “homecoming event" at Los Angeles Center Studios.Photo: Todd Williamson/Shutterstock for HBO Max
