HBO Max’s ‘Integration Test’ Email is Baffling Everyone, Even CEO Jason Kilar and James Gunn
Late Thursday evening, HBO Max sent out a perplexing email that had subscribers — and even WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar — questioning what the heck is going on at the streaming service.
The message was brief, but very cryptic. According to screenshots, it had the subject line “Integration Test Email #1” and the body of the email simply read, “This template is used by integration tests only.”
Naturally, it left a bunch of HBO Max subscribers — and Twitter users wanting to get in on the avalanche of ensuing jokes — wondering what it meant or if it was some kind of marketing stunt (it wasn’t).
HBO Max apologized for the “inconvenience” in a tweet shortly after the email went out and even blamed an intern (who we surely hope still has a job) for the bungled email. In the immortal words of a certain fictional pop star, everybody makes mistakes and everybody has those days.
We mistakenly sent out an empty test email to a portion of our HBO Max mailing list this evening. We apologize for the inconvenience, and as the jokes pile in, yes, it was the intern. No, really. And we’re helping them through it.
— HBOMaxHelp (@HBOMaxHelp) June 18, 2021
Kilar joined in on poking fun at his own company, joking that the email was somehow part of the streaming app’s content rollout along with its new breakout hit “Mare of Easttown.”
Mare of Easttown
Friends Reunion
Integration Test Email #1
— Jason Kilar (@jasonkilar) June 18, 2021
Meanwhile, director James Gunn, who’s currently at work writing and directing “Peacemaker,” a D.C. Comics series that prequels the “Suicide Squad” and will premiere on HBO Max, said he hoped the email was part of a marketing campaign for the project.
Hoping the Integration Test Email #1 I just got from @hbomax is somehow the first step in extremely clever viral marketing for #Peacemaker.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) June 18, 2021
Producer and writer Paul Davidson said the whole thing reminded him of the failed Jefferey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman streaming venture Quibi, which shut down after only seven months in operation.
“The entertainment value and pure hilarity that has come out of the @hbomax integration test email #1, beats every show ever on Quibi,” Davidson quipped.
Another Twitter user noted that he thought this might be the most attention HBO has gotten since it wrapped its hit show “Game of Thrones.” “Integration Test Email #1 has gotten HBO more views than anything else they’ve produced since Game of Thrones ended,” they joked.
Check out some more jokes about the streamer’s snafu below.
“Integration Test Email #1” has always been my favorite Dylan closing track. pic.twitter.com/WrEScU5Cs2
— Larry Karaszewski (@Karaszewski) June 18, 2021
The sketchy part is that I pitched @HBOMax Integration Test Email and they passed.
— Joel Stein (@thejoelstein) June 18, 2021
Lol if it turns out the HBO Max email goof is a stunt for a new show called Integration Test Email then congrats to the marketing team
— Rachel Tobac (@RachelTobac) June 18, 2021
I would rather send Integration Test Email #1 than accidentally alert Hawaii that there is an incoming ballistic missile
— Kelly Vaughn (@kvlly) June 18, 2021
lets all just be grateful that integration test email didn’t leave an option to Reply All
— Anna Brisbin (@BrizzyVoices) June 18, 2021
The HBO Max intern sending out Integration Test Email #1 pic.twitter.com/sqfNR0bDXB
— (@MadamClinton) June 18, 2021
POV: You didn't get an Integration Test Email. pic.twitter.com/5U1xB0aUcT
— PCMag (@PCMag) June 18, 2021
This amount of attention, discussion, and fanfare for integration test #1 means that a season two order is just a week away.
— julia alexander (@loudmouthjulia) June 18, 2021
HBO writers furiously penning a twelve part series called integration test email rn to save face
— Pwn All The Things (@pwnallthethings) June 18, 2021
"Integration Test Email #1" has gotten HBO more views than anything else they've produced since Game of Thrones ended… pic.twitter.com/SBjYGvbFWu
— Jake Williams (@MalwareJake) June 18, 2021
Just heard from @HBOMaxHelp that “Integration Test Email #2” won’t be coming https://t.co/dKTv0O2P3J
— Juan Escalante (@JuanSaaa) June 18, 2021
i think it worked @hbomax pic.twitter.com/iljA8ky53o
— angel (@angelmendoza___) June 18, 2021
Integration Test Email #1 is HBO Max’s biggest hit pic.twitter.com/qt72fvetq4
— Sam Roberts (@notsam) June 18, 2021
Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Disney+, Peacock, Paramount+ all having the same hastily called all-hands meeting right now WHAT IS OUR "INTEGRATION TEST EMAIL?"
— Mike Royce (@MikeRoyce) June 18, 2021
There are two types of people. Those who got the HBO Max integration test email, and mooches.
— JT (@jts_tweets) June 18, 2021
The difference between HBO Go and HBO Max is that HBO Max includes every season Integration Test Email #1
— Zack Bornstein (@ZackBornstein) June 18, 2021