My Friend Max Hate is a cinematic short film that personifies online radicalization through a chilling metaphor. The story follows Shiloh, a teenage boy who meets Max Hate—an animated puppet influencer offering confidence and belonging. But Max’s lessons darken, turning women into scapegoats and Shiloh into his puppet, both literally and symbolically. The transformation dramatizes how easily boys can be molded by online hate. Designed as entertainment, not advertising, My Friend Max Hate mirrored the language, tone, and pacing of real influencer culture—crafted as a film-first experience. The story extended into TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, meeting audiences where radicalization thrives. Timed with the global Netflix release of Adolescence, which explored similar themes, the film naturally entered a broader cultural conversation on youth and online influence. The campaign achieved over 3 million views, 260K likes, 60K shares, and 4K comments, generating heated debate and widespread media coverage. Engagement reached 52% with 99% positive sentiment and $370K in earned media on a $0 budget. Beyond metrics, My Friend Max Hate is now being used in Canadian schools as a teaching tool for media literacy and anti-radicalization. By blending cinematic storytelling with social relevance, White Ribbon turned branded content into a cultural catalyst—making the invisible mechanisms of online hate visible, and helping boys resist becoming puppets to it.