HBO Max Superman Takeover

To celebrate the global streaming premiere of Superman on HBO Max, the streaming home of DC, we executed a first-of-its-kind 48-hour platform takeover that redefined how a streaming product can celebrate a cultural moment. The activation honored DC’s most iconic superhero while serving as both a storytelling experience and a product innovation, built as an adaptive framework capable of transforming HBO Max’s interface to reflect any campaign narrative in real time. The creative concept explored the duality of Superman and Clark Kent, expressed through a complete visual and tonal redesign across the platform. On the homepage, users entered the world of the Daily Planet, with the background, HBO Max logo, and rail titles rebuilt in a newspaper-inspired aesthetic. The experience extended beyond design to product functionality, incorporating custom rail logic, dynamic UI components, and updated copy systems that mirrored the newsroom tone. Two new content rails anchored the experience. “Unsung Heroes of HBO Max” highlighted supporting characters and creators within the library, while “Fortress of Solitude” led to a dedicated Superman hub celebrating his cinematic legacy. Hidden throughout both environments were interactive “portals” that rewarded exploration. When clicked, they led users to a Lex Luthor “Pocket Prison” page featuring the platform’s villainous IP displayed within cage-cells. The takeover spanned the full product ecosystem. The app store featured themed creative at download and launch, while the in-app experience extended across the homepage, browse, and player, marking the first time HBO Max deployed a custom-themed video player. From the moment a user opened the app to the second they hit play, the product itself became part of the Superman story. The results reflected both creative and business success. Superman ranks among the top-performing Pay-1 premieres on HBO Max in 2025. The premiere drove a 17 percent increase in platform efficiency as a larger share of active users converted to viewership, and strong homepage engagement led to nearly 3 million additional streams compared to the previous four weekends, signaling meaningful gains in acquisition and retention. The takeover showcased HBO Max’s ability to merge storytelling and innovation across campaigns.