F1 Goes Full Brand Mode
How Apple, Expensify and co. turned a fake F1 team into a real-world brand win
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Hi all, today we are talking about Brad Pitt’s latest movie: F1. I had the chance to watch it on the big screen when I was in Paris last month. I was impressed by the film making, the directing, the performances, and — the brand partnerships in place.
When Apple Studios dropped $200–300 million on F1, starring Brad Pitt and directed by Joseph Kosinski, it wasn’t just betting on box office—it was wagering on a cross‑platform brand phenomenon
Box office results vindicated the strategy:
$55.6M opening in North America
Worldwide gross ~$393M
More than a film, Apple engineered F1 as a living marketing platform—a fictional team, real-world touchpoints, and multi-brand integrations unfolding live on and off-screen.
🛠️ Building the APXGP Brand Engine
1. A Fictional Team with Real Currency
Apple created APXGP, the “11th team” in the F1 paddock. That team wasn’t just CGI—it had a garage, a motorhome, and wore real race suits. Brad Pitt and Damson Idris were seen filming during actual race weekends, in and around real teams and drivers—turning fiction into lived reality.
2. $40M+ in Brand Sponsorship Deals
According to Forbes and Meltwater, about $40 million flowed from corporate sponsors covering APXGP’s cars, suits, and narrative presence—delivered in granular story beats, not fleeting logos.
Sponsors included:
Title Sponsor: Expensify — lived in the film’s plot, adorned Pitt’s chest, the car, and inspired a scene where Idris’s character shoots an Expensify ad.
Tommy Hilfiger: created APXGP gear before premiere; sold out quickly; now shows up at real races.
IWC Schaffhausen: crafted commemorative APXGP timepieces.
Heineken 0.0: launched a campaign featuring Pitt & Idris, weaving responsible drinking into the narrative.
Others: Mercedes, GEICO, SharkNinja, MSC Cruises, EA Sports (in-game), and Pirelli (on toy replicas).
🎯 Integrated Strategy: Brands Are Characters
This wasn’t cameo marketing—it was story-first integration:
Expensify wasn’t a fleeting logo: it powered plot, resumed over expense reports, drove character arcs, and turned into commercial narratives within the film.
PEAK, GEICO, SharkNinja played as rival teams or pit crew sponsors, not just static signage.
Tommy Hilfiger gear featured prominently both on screen and in merch, building a “real” fandom for a “fictional” team .
Mercedes–AMG mortar-launched a limited edition APXGP GT 63 model, tying luxury car culture to the film’s narrative
Heineken 0.0 used the narrative to address moderation, not just visibility .
Brands didn’t just occupy aesthetic space—they influenced character plots, “scenes,” and timeline beats.
🌍 Cross‑Platform Ecosystem
This strategy spun out from screen into tangible, earned moments:
Merchandise rollouts ahead of the premiere created cosplay-like momentum at real races.
Hot Wheels released APXGP die‑casts, complete with Pirelli branding—engaging younger demographics. IG posts on these garnered ~166k engagements organically, no ads.
EA Sports' F1 25 included APXGP in playable scenarios—letting consumers “join the story” via video game controllers .
Haptic trailer at WWDC revealed tactile “race vibes” directly into users’ iPhones—2:30 of haptic cinema in a keynote LinkedIn.
F1 broadcast crossovers: teasers aired at the Super Bowl; Pitt wore suits to races; clips integrated in F1 programming .
🔥 Why It Matters: Brand Strategy R3.0
1. Authenticity Anchored in Reality
Filming during real GP weekends, using actual F2-P2 hybrid cars built with Mercedes tech, and having Lewis Hamilton onboard lent real-world relevance that hyperbolic placements lack The Guardian.
2. Story over Shout
Brands became characters—not just backgrounds. They influenced plot and motivated protagonists. This is narrative marketing, not just placement .
3. Fandom Across Platforms
Fans didn't just watch—they wore, played, and felt the F1 world. Apparel, gameplay, haptic feedback, toy replicas—it turned viewers into participants.
4. Opening New Demographics
F1 the Movie smashed records: A‑CinemaScore, tapping new fans unfamiliar with races . F1, via Netflix and now Hollywood, is stepping into mainstream culture—diverse, younger, tech‑savvy.
🚦 Takeaway Lessons for Brands
If you're in auto, tech, fashion, beverages, lifestyle, or seeking an intersection of sport + storytelling + immersive engagement, this campaign offers a blueprint:
Partner on unified, long‑term narrative—not one-off placements.
Build real-life extensions: apparel, toys, game content.
Bake brands into character arcs—not just logos.
Use cross-channel storytelling: film, social, game, live events, even haptic tech.
Align with passion points—like F1’s speed, glamour, and drama—to drive emotional connection.
🔄 Next‑Gen Brand Integration
This is Sport‑tainment 2.0: an ecosystem where:
Brands help power narrative (Expensify fueled on‑screen strategy).
Tech experiences (haptic trailer) heighten emotional immersion.
Physical products (Hot Wheels) and digital gameplay (EA Sports) deepen user connection.
Real-world spectacles (race weekends, WWDC) bridge the virtual and the real.
No wonder Expensify’s sign-ups reportedly quadrupled after launch.
We’re witnessing marketing that lives beyond the credits—where brands don’t just exist in entertainment, but become entertainment.
🎬 Final Lap
Brad Pitt’s F1 didn’t just bring audiences to the track—it turned them into part of the ecosystem. For brands, it wasn’t about getting in, it was about driving the story.
That’s the future of story-commerce. And it just hit the apex at 200 mph.
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