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HBO Max is embracing the spirit of SXSW Online 2021 with HBO Max Orbit, an interactive digital experience that allows users to explore the HBO Max library in an intuitive and personalized way.
HBO Max Orbit has the ability to examine users’ facial movements and process voice prompts to bring up matching scenes from across the streamer’s vast content library. Orbit includes more than 150,000 scenes clipped from such HBO Max series and films as Game of Thrones, Lovecraft Country, Love Life, The Big Bang Theory, Zack Snyder’s Justice League and more. The scenes will be accessible with just a nod of the head or a few spoken words.
The system also will feature specific clips from WarnerMedia’s new movie Godzilla vs. Kong, premiering March 31 in theaters and for free for subscribers of HBO Max for 31 days after its theatrical release in the U.S. While exploring HBO Max Orbit at SXSW Online, attendees can participate in a “flock to unlock” challenge starting at noon ET on March 19, when they can unlock an exclusive clip from the film by performing various tasks.
“The pandemic has forced brands from all sectors to reimagine experiential marketing and devise new ways to engage and delight users with content,” said Jason Mulderig, SVP brand marketing, HBO Max, in a statement. “HBO Max Orbit is an impressive technical feat, and we’re so pleased to use this technology to create fun, meaningful connections with people from the comfort of their homes. Given our history of partnership with SXSW and its impact amongst audiences at the intersection of entertainment and technology, we can’t wait to bring this compelling experience to the festival and to share all that HBO Max has to offer.
Experience design firm Hush developed the digital and physical experience and the HBO Max Orbit technology for both the web and AT&T retail flagship stores.
“This was an incredible creative and technical opportunity for our firm and one that was supported with energy and enthusiasm by the HBO Max team,” said David Schwarz, partner at Hush, also in a statement. “Strategically, we were able to lean into the fact that HBO Max’s library is unparalleled in quality and scale. We latched onto an intriguing but simple question: how can we leverage design and creative technology to give audiences a magical experience of navigating the seemingly infinite world of HBO Max? It needed to be functionally intuitive and fast, but also dreamlike, extemporaneous and unexpected. The best explorers in history didn’t change their world, they just found beautiful ways through it.”
Following SXSW, HBO Max Orbit will become available in select AT&T stores in April, with the experience available within a 360-degree chamber integrated into the stores and powered by AT&T 5G wireless service.
Overall, WarnerMedia has planned a huge presence at and alongside of SXSW Online 2021 with its virtual house, WarnerMedia Rise. SXSW typically hosts houses for brands all across Austin where they offer independent programming that is both separate from but a part of the overall SXSW experience. WarnerMedia Rise will include panels, screenings and other virtual activations that will run from March 16-18 with some sessions becoming open to the public during the final two days of SXSW Online, which runs March 16-20.
In the past, HBO has made huge splashes at SXSW with activations for such series as Game of Thrones and Westworld.
For more information and to register for SXSW Online 2021, visit sxsw.com.