HBO Max Mini

Snapchat Brand Lab, a team I previously led, hosted a workshop with HBO Max. Our goal was to use Snapchat’s toolset to make HBO Max sticky for the next generation. We grounded the workshop in the insight that Gen Z are social streamers, and that their streaming preferences are IP-driven. Additional research and trend forecasting sharpened our focus on virtual co-viewing, enabling friends to watch and engage with content together from different places. We saw this as key to future-proofing any streaming service.

Following our workshop, in July 2021, we launched the first entertainment “Mini” with HBO Max. A “Mini” is an application that runs inside Snapchat, leveraging users’ friend graphs and the platform’s native features. HBO Max’s Mini offered free full episodes of trending shows, for users to watch live with their friends. Friends watching together were represented by their Bitmojis, and could react and interact in the moment.