Industry Innovators 2022: HBO Max

"Industry Innovators 2022: 10 Brands Shaping the Future of Event Marketing" is sponsored by Hubilo, a leading virtual and hybrid event platform built to drive engagement, with clients including Deloitte, Coca-Cola, Amazon Web Services and more.

The Basics: The subscription-based streaming service, which is owned by WarnerMedia, launched in May 2020 and immediately embraced the industry’s pivot to virtual events and premieres, including a proprietary streaming platform designed to host digital screenings and after-parties. For example, in November 2020, the brand hosted “The Flight Attendant Coffeeology Experience,” an immersive virtual activation presented under the guise of a barista-led coffee tutorial that turned into a murder mystery. In the last year, the brand has welcomed the return of in-person activations and events, hosting a mix of IRL and hybrid experiences.

In July at the 1Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, HBO Max hosted an early screening of the premiere episode of Gossip Girl followed by a fashion show by designer Monse where he unveiled 24 Gossip Girl-inspired looks on the runway.Photo: Calen RoseMost Innovative Event: In June 2021, HBO Max delivered a robust marketing effort in support of the Gossip Girl reboot that included a partnership with luxury label Monse to produce an in-person and livestreamed fashion show. As part of the hybrid event, Monse’s co-founders and creative directors debuted their Fall 2021 collection, which used Gossip Girl as the muse. “This was a multilayered, multi-touchpoint partnership, incredibly relevant to Gen Zers, and an organic buzz creator for the series,” said Pia Chaozon Barlow, EVP of marketing for HBO Max Originals. “Throughout its launch weekend, Gossip Girl was the most-talked-about Max Original Series on social media to date, culminating in 15 billion total social impressions.”

Over the summer, HBO Max Pa’lante! hosted an interactive pop-up called “House of Bachata” in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City. Hairstyling and barber services from Wolfman Barbershop were offered during the experience.Photo: Courtesy of HBO Max Pa’lante!Event Philosophy: ​​”At HBO Max, we always seek to demonstrate the same level of craft and storytelling in our marketing that our viewers expect from the programming,” Barlow said. “Our goal is to meet viewers where they are, and it’s our job as marketers to reach our key audiences for individual programs and to communicate all those viewing options. In the ideation stage of every campaign, a main priority is authenticity. The event must make sense and feel like an extension of our storytelling. We strive to execute events that excite our audience, fuel a deeper connection to the programming and create new trends. We want to be at the forefront of event innovation, so we really focus on developing unique and fresh ideas that often influence trends throughout the industry.”

Lessons Learned in 2021: ​​”Over the past year, we’ve learned it’s important to take calculated risks when launching an event,” Barlow said. “At HBO Max, we strive to create the most innovative and exciting events and to do that, we often have to take risks where we feel the positives outweigh the possible negative outcomes. Additionally, with the uncertainty of fluctuating case numbers, variants and local regulations, it was challenging at times to execute in-person events. To make the greatest impact, we explored new ways to complement our in-person experiences with innovative virtual worlds.”

What’s Next: As part of a megamerger, Discovery and WarnerMedia are in talks to combine the two streaming services—HBO Max and Discovery+—into one. Currently in the regulatory review process, the deal is expected to close sometime mid-year.

To promote season two of its original series Love Life, HBO Max hosted romantic evenings at eight Black-owned restaurants in New York, Los Angeles (pictured), Atlanta and Detroit.Photo: Joseph Johnson

To celebrate the launch of HBO Max's Genera+ion's first season, the brand hosted a two-week pop-up installation at The LAB in Orange County, Calif., called "Genera+ion Un-Fashion Showcase." The streaming service partnered with fashion school FIDM and the show's costume designer to select student and alumni designers to create custom-made fashion looks inspired by each of the central characters in the series.Photo: Myles Loftin