It's got the look. A peek at the new face that Max, the digital movies and events channel from the Sony Entertainment stable, will be presenting to the world at 7 am on Republic Day (26 January) certainly corroborates that. 

Speaking to the media during what could be called a coming out party, Rajat Jain, executive vice-president and business head, MAX, said there would be a renewed focus on building the Max brand as a separate entity rather than as an adjunct of SET. The restructuring process that was undertaken last year had split SET and Max into two business units to give each channel the requisite focus, Jain said.

The aim is to build up Max for the future for which there will be adequate investment pumped in, Jain said, adding that once the new look channel went on air there would be some changes in the MAX logo and elements for all promotables like Maha Movie and Mera Movie, for instance, plus elements like promo end pages, menu pages, lower thirds, new packaging audio, etcetera. 

Queried on what the channel proposed to do with its cricket property (Max has the rights to cricket played in Bangladesh for the next six years), Jain said they would be utilising it but stressed that movies would be the main focus. 

Though Jain refused to get drawn into a discussion on whether Max would phase out cricket from its itinerary it is clear that Max is positioning itself as a movies and events channel rather than a movies and cricket one as was earlier the case. 

Detailing what went into the new look of the channel, Jain said: Under the supervision of the channel's creative team, the new look has been executed by the top notch, International award winning design house, Belief which bagged a pitch that was open to seven other reputed international design houses from the USA and UK. Belief did the creatives on the new look that SET went in for at the end of last year as well. 

Jain says: "We have spent close to six months in conceiving and executing our new look. And I believe that all the time, and the quarter of a million dollars we invested in the project, has been well worth the effort. 

Jain added that his team was working on a programming schedule that would be clued in to the needs of both the advertiser and the viewer which would be ready by March.