Well, the Max Rebrand Didn't Last Long

There are rebrands, and then there are rebrands for the sake of rebranding that don't work particularly well. As Variety reports, such is the case of the former HBO Max, reborn as the more simple Max, and now once again HBO Max. Parent company Warner Bros. Discover announced the decision Wednesday:

• "Returning the HBO brand into HBO Max will further drive the service forward and amplify the uniqueness that subscribers can expect from the offering. It is also a testament to WBD's willingness to keep boldly iterating its strategy and approach—leaning heavily on consumer data and insights—to best position itself for success."

The change came after only two years as Max, and as Variety notes, only two months after Max's logo was changed to look more like the old black-and-white logo. Warner Bros. Discover launched HBO Max in 2020, notes the Hollywood Reporter, only to change the streaming service over to Max in 2023, "ditching the most venerated network brand name in television in favor of the most popular name for male dogs." Variety notes that HBO proper and Max have had separate labels for the last two years but competed under the single HBO/Max label for awards. (More HBO Max stories.)