Brembo, Brakes, And Brad Pitt Get A Closeup In The New F1 Movie

Forbes

9 hours ago

F1, the movie
Italian braking systems manufacturer Brembo has cornered the market for Formula 1 racing teams. In fact, all of the current teams are equipped with Brembo's high-performance brakes in the real world.
So it makes sense that in the upcoming Apple Original Films' F1 movie, starring Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, and Javier Bardem, the fictional team uses Brembo too. Engineers from the company even designed a custom braking system for the movie car.
Brembo says its engineers tailored the braking system by analyzing key factors like weight distribution, tire grip and aerodynamic balance in the APXGP movie car, just as it does for real F1 teams.
Brembo Looks To Reach The Next Generation Through F1
Brembo is the official partner for the movie and supplied the braking systems for the film's race car. APXGP, the fictional team in the movie F1, was influenced and inspired heavily by real-life F1 drivers. Many of the professional F1 drivers were in the movie, and even Lewis Hamilton's dog had a cameo.
Brembo Chief Marketing Officer Mauro Piccoli says while the company has a long history with F1, it's more exciting than ever to see where the sport is going now.
'Motorsport is reaching the younger generation because of [the show] Formula 1: Drive to Survive,' Piccoli says. 'Formula 1 has changed how it's selling its product. The race isn't changing, and the cars aren't changing. But they are gaining interest because they're moving from talking about engineering and cars to characters and drivers.'
As such, F1 the motorsport and F1 the movie have become even stronger ways for Brembo to communicate its brand mission and goals. Brand placement in movies certainly isn't a new idea, and the number of insincere or awkward placement is fairly common. For Brembo, however, this is much more than product placement. The brand is integrated in a way that's organically sensible, and while not everyone will recognize the Brembo name when it pops up on the screen, it will resonate.
Formula 1 Brembo brake system
Brakes, Brembo, and Brad Pitt
Is Brembo hoping to reach more manufacturers with this movie involvement, or is is more like the 'Intel Inside' campaign the tech company ran years ago for brand awareness? Piccoli says it's not just a matter of selling brakes to manufacturers. It's building a strong connection across the board.
'We want our audience to think about Brembo when they have to buy a car or motorbike in the future,' Piccoli emphasizes. 'We want them to consider the quality of our products and the value.'
Ultimately, Brembo finds this F1 movie partnership a way to create and generate brand awareness for the upcoming generation. Of course, the movie will also catch the attention of enthusiasts and those passionate about motorsports. It's worth noting that the stars of the movie and the stunt drivers experienced over 4G of deceleration on the movie set, which is more than three times what most drivers feel on the road. Fitted with Brembo brakes, the car had plenty of stopping power.
In the automotive world, when a vehicle is fitted with Brembo brakes, it sends a clear message that particular car was designed for performance. Over time, maybe more consumers will realize the company making the brake components is worth asking for by name.
'It's not enough to think that whatever goal you reach is enough,' Piccoli says. 'Every year, we reinvent ourselves according to the changes to the rules. We're always thinking about what we can do next.'
F1 arrives in theaters in North America on June 27, with the Brembo name embedded deeply within.