The Rebrand That Was in on the Joke

How does an identity crisis turn into a content strategy?

Background

HBO Max was on its third rebrand in five years, with four names, six logos, and a timeline that was increasingly hard to follow.

After becoming “Max” in 2023, the brand reversed course in 2025—right back to HBO Max. The internet was already circling. Memes were locked and loaded. And online audiences showed up ready to drag the brand.

Here’s the reality: People don’t mind when brands get it wrong. They mind when brands pretend they didn’t.

We knew the world would have something to say. So we said it first.

Journey

We didn’t announce the rebrand. We staged it.

The idea: Beat the internet to the joke and make it impossible to ignore.

In 24 hours, we turned a corporate reversal into a live, participatory spectacle.

65 unique pieces of content across TikTok, Instagram, X, Threads, and YouTube
Platform-native chaos: memes, trending sounds, reactive posts, and self-aware humor
Copy that felt more like a group chat than a press release
Talent and IP in on the joke— White Lotus, Harry Potter, True Detective, and more

Fans posted. We replied. Haters joked. We amplified. What started as reaction became orchestration. What looked like chaos was strategy. The rollout didn’t feel like marketing. It felt and like the brand letting the audience in on the joke.

Outcomes

They say the internet is undefeated. We managed to team up for this one.

16M
total content views
4.2M
engagements
1200%
increase in X mentions
(from ~5K to 65K)
97%
positive sentiment
106+
earned media placements

Beyond the numbers, the campaign became something bigger: a blueprint for how brands can shape culture by controlling the narrative before anyone else gets the chance. We proved that speed is a storytelling tool, transparency beats perfection, and self-awareness is a competitive advantage. HBO Max didn’t just survive the rebrand. It owned it.