To be or not to be: Max regrets and decides to change his name to HBO Max (once again)

At some point in our lives, we have all gone through an identity crisis; it is quite common among us humans, but it also occurs with brands or companies. And that is exactly what has happened to Max which, following a rebranding effort launched in 2023, has regretted the abrupt change and has decided to revert to being called HBO Max.

Max leaves its name behind and returns to HBO Max

Everything started in May 2023 when Warner Bros. Discovery made the controversial decision to remove the HBO brand from its corporate identity, betting solely on the term Max and also discarding the purple color palette. This rebranding process initially began in the United States and gradually expanded to other countries, reaching Spain in May 2024.

Now, it seems that its executives have regretted their decision. In large part, the recovery of its former naming comes from the renown and prestige that HBO has in the entertainment industry, with series such as The Last of Us and The White Lotus being contemporary flagships of the television network, in addition to other classics like The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, and many more.

“Given the path we find ourselves on and the momentum we are enjoying, we believe that HBO Max more accurately represents our current proposition to consumers. This clearly reflects our implicit promise to offer content recognized for being unique and, to borrow a phrase we always said at HBO, that it is worth paying for them,” declared Casey Bloys, President and CEO of HBO and Max Content.

User (and brand) reactions on social media

Let us remember that this is not the first time Warner or HBO has surprised us by changing the name of its platform. In 2008, when the streaming service made its debut, it was introduced under the name HBO Go, evolving in 2015 to HBO Now; in 2020 to HBO Max and in 2023 to simply Max.

As expected, the return to the 2020 name has generated opinions (and many memes) among internet users, especially on Twitter where the hashtag #HBOMax has become a trend. Even HBO itself has joined the conversation with humor, clearly indicating that they are aware of what their change would generate and embracing it.

What she said. pic.twitter.com/nUDClK8i9G

— HBO (@HBO) May 14, 2025

Of course, the euphoria and controversy has spurred an interesting dialogue among users. Many people have pointed out that the decision was obvious and that it is quite a strategic and marketing-savvy move, given HBO’s undeniable positioning in the streaming world. However, others believe that this reversal is a disastrous decision that reveals weakness on their part.

hbo max rebranding……………….. again pic.twitter.com/8EM7MI1wNu https://t.co/er2ae90Kd4

— wiLL (@willfulchaos) May 14, 2025

On the other hand, brands have not missed the opportunity to join this viral conversation and capture some engagement. To do so, they have turned to humor:

🚨 ANUNCIO IMPORTANTE 🚨

Acá sigo siendo Paramount+ ☝🤪 pic.twitter.com/mHQSCwgoQo

— Paramount+ México (@ParamountPlusMX) May 14, 2025

Los entendemos, #HBOMax

A nosotros también nos llaman de muchas maneras 🤭💙 pic.twitter.com/dFz6yEhfPc

— Prime Video LATAM (@PrimeVideoLat) May 14, 2025

Undoubtedly, this has been quite a risky move by Warner Bros. Discovery executives, but considering the relevance of the HBO brand and that a significant portion of the audience continued to include it when naming the streaming service, it makes us think that it was the right decision (you could learn from this, Elon Musk…). Moreover, we should not forget that behind these types of decisions, there are many prior analyses and surveys.

However, we hope Warner does not decide to change its corporate identity again anytime soon, saving us all the wear and tear from those of us who keep an eye on digital trends and who are responsible for communicating them. This includes, of course, the Community Manager of Max on Twitter.

• Another very recent rebranding: Google has a new logo for the first time in 10 years. It is a bit… meh