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Business Insider
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
Apple really, really wants you to go see its 'F1' movie
An iPhone notification. A surprise Brad Pitt appearance at an Apple store. A fancy trailer that makes your iPhone rumble. Apple is going all out for its big-budget "F1" movie. If you own an iPhone or visited one of the company's retail stores recently, you've likely noticed the promotional push as the Apple synergy machine kicked into gear. Apple has pulled many of its levers across various channels to drum up excitement for its latest original film, "F1: The Movie," which arrived in theaters Friday. It's a marketing flex that few companies aside from Apple are capable of, since they don't have the massive built-in install base of the iPhone. Apple's strategy of continuing to make big-budget movies has some, including Business Insider's Peter Kafka, scratching their heads. The tech giant's marketing push around "F1," though, makes sense — Apple's got skin in the game for this movie. Not all of Apple's marketing tactics have gone smoothly, though. On Tuesday, some iPhone users took to social media to complain about a notification on their home screen that turned out to be an ad sent from the Wallet app tied to the movie. The promo offered $10 off two tickets to see "F1" when you purchase from Fandango using Apple Pay. Sure, you could easily dismiss the notification and move on with your day, but some compared it to Apple's free U2 album that it added to iPhone users' libraries. There have also been some pretty creative marketing efforts. If you have an iPhone, you can watch a special version of the "F1" trailer in the AppleTV app that activates the phone's haptic engines (basically fancy vibrations), so that your device rumbles along with the vehicles' engines. (You'll also be encouraged to buy tickets when you open the app.) Experience the new @F1Movie trailer on iPhone in a way only Apple can deliver. — Tim Cook (@tim_cook) June 11, 2025 And for even more immersion, Apple's Maps app allows you to virtually check out the famous tracks where "F1" was filmed. Then there was Apple's big annual Worldwide Developers Conference, which took place in the weeks leading up to the movie's release. Its Formula 1-themed intro featured Apple exec Craig Federighi driving laps on top of Apple's "spaceship" HQ. At one point, Tim Cook looks right at the camera and says, "Yes, F1, baby." In May, actor Damson Idris, who stars in the movie alongside Brad Pitt, walked the carpet of the Met Gala in an F1 driver's uniform and helmet before unveiling a suit underneath. He held on to his helmet as an accessory. Exactly how much Apple invested to make "F1" a reality isn't clear. Initial reports said that the movie cost around $300 million to make (not counting its marketing budget). However, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Joseph Kosinski said that wasn't the case in an interview with Deadline last year. In reality, Bruckheimer said, the estimate was "tens of millions of dollars out of whack." "We can't give you a number because that's Apple's money and they can talk about it," Bruckheimer said. "But what I think you can say is it's quite a bit lower than what's been reported." Apple did not immediately respond to a Business Insider's request for comment on the budget. Some of Apple's investments in movies have proven success in the past. AppleTV+ made a name for itself in the film industry with "CODA," a 2021 coming-of-age movie that went on to win Best Picture at the 2022 Academy Awards, making it the first film released by a streamer to win the top award at the Oscars. On June 15, people attending a panel discussion for another AppleTV+ offering, "Severance," were surprised when Brad Pitt came out to promote "F1." Tim Cook was there too, and he made sure to mention that the movie included footage filmed using the same camera technology you can buy in the latest iPhones.
CNET
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CNET
There's Still Time to Grab 'Superman' Early Screening Tickets if You Have Prime
Don't want to wait until July 11 to watch James Gunn's Superman movie? If catching what's likely to be one of the biggest blockbusters of the summer three days early sounds like a game-changer, Amazon could be your hero. Until July 8 -- also the start of Amazon Prime Day -- Prime members in the US can now buy tickets for early access screenings of Superman that will take place in select theaters on July 8 at 7 p.m. local time, DC Studios and Amazon said earlier in June. A Prime membership costs $15 per month or $139 per year. 2025's Superman stars David Corenswet as the Man of Steel, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. Gunn wrote and directed the film. Here's how you can get tickets to an advance showing. How to get Superman early screening tickets if you're an Amazon Prime member You can buy tickets on Fandango now by going to The offer is valid through July 8. When I tried booking, a ticket for an Imax showing at AMC Lincoln Square 13 in NYC cost $32.69 for an adult after fees. I was able to select up to 20 tickets. If you don't have Prime, general showtime tickets are also up for grabs.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Apple shoves F1 movie ad into Wallet
Apple's F1 movie opens in theaters on June 27, and the company really wants you to know about it. On Tuesday morning, Wallet users noticed an Apple Pay notification that was both a coupon and an advertisement for the racing film. It offered "$10 off 2+ tickets to F1 The Movie at Fandango." When they clicked "Get tickets now," they were taken to a dedicated Fandango link that instructed them to use the promo code "APPLEPAYTEN" as well as use Apple Pay to receive their discount. Not everyone likes being advertised to in such a forceful manner, and while it's not nearly as bad, it's reminiscent of the U2 album fiasco. In 2014, Apple pushed U2's albumSongs of Innocence to the devices of every iTunes user in the world. Over 81 million users received the free album, and it did not go over well. The budget for F1 was, by some reports, as high as $200 to $300 million, though its lead producer and director have both disputed that figure. This is Apple's first real attempt at making a summer blockbuster, and the company is pulling out all the stops from aggressive ads to a haptic trailer just for iPhones. For those planning to see the movie anyway, the discount runs through June 29, and $10 off is nothing to sneeze at. That being said, I hope it doesn't become a trend. After all, if I pulled my wallet out of my back pocket, opened it to grab a $20 bill, and saw that someone stuck a coupon for a movie inside it, I'd be a little miffed.
Engadget
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Engadget
Apple shoves F1 movie ad into Wallet
Apple's F1 movie opens in theaters on June 27, and the company really wants you to know about it. On Tuesday morning, Wallet users noticed an Apple Pay notification that was both a coupon and an advertisement for the racing film. It offered "$10 off 2+ tickets to F1 The Movie at Fandango." When they clicked "Get tickets now," they were taken to a dedicated Fandango link that instructed them to use the promo code "APPLEPAYTEN" as well as use Apple Pay to receive their discount. Not everyone likes being advertised to in such a forceful manner, and while it's not nearly as bad, it's reminiscent of the U2 album fiasco. In 2014, Apple pushed U2's album Songs of Innocence to the devices of every iTunes user in the world. Over 81 million users received the free album, and it did not go over well. The budget for F1 was, by some reports, as high as $200 to $300 million, though its lead producer and director have both disputed that figure . This is Apple's first real attempt at making a summer blockbuster, and the company is pulling out all the stops from aggressive ads to a haptic trailer just for iPhones . For those planning to see the movie anyway, the discount runs through June 29, and $10 off is nothing to sneeze at. That being said, I hope it doesn't become a trend. After all, if I pulled my wallet out of my back pocket, opened it to grab a $20 bill, and saw that someone stuck a coupon for a movie inside it, I'd be a little miffed.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Apple pushes ad for its new F1 movie via wallet app: Why iPhone users are not happy
Apple's new Ad: Apple Wallet F1 movie ad has sparked controversy after users received an unsolicited push notification promoting F1: The Movie via Apple Wallet, offering a $10 discount on ticket purchases . The campaign, tied to Apple's heavy backing of the Brad Pitt-starring film, drew swift backlash from iPhone owners who accused the Steve Jobs-era giant of treating their digital wallet like an advertising channel. Critics compared the move to Apple's infamous U2 album giveaway, citing privacy concerns and expressing frustration at receiving ads through a financial app. With users demanding better controls, Apple now faces pressure to rethink its approach to in-app marketing and respect user trust. What is it all about? With Brad Pitt's Formula 1 film set to hit cinemas this week, Apple seemed to offer iPhone users a small incentive to watch the movie on the big screen. In theory, the move made sense. In practice, however, it sparked significant backlash from users. Here's what happened. On Tuesday afternoon, several iPhone users noticed a push notification from their Wallet app. The alert was a promotion, offering a $10 discount when purchasing two tickets to the film via Fandango (like BookMyShow). The reason for the promotion? Apple is one of the film's distributors. As such, the movie is expected to become available on Apple TV+ once its theatrical run concludes. By distributing these alerts, Apple appears to be going against its own App Store policies. Push notifications should not be used for advertising unless users have expressly consented to receive them, according to the standards. The guideline states that "unless customers have expressly consented to receive Push Notifications via consent language displayed in your app's UI and you provide a method in your app for a user to opt out of receiving such messages," Push notifications should not be used for promotional or direct marketing reasons. iPhone users aren't happy As was to be expected, Apple's approach caused much criticism. Furthermore, the drama surrounding the incident is so great that it appears that the action backfired, even though we may be only hearing from a very vocal minority. apple sending ads in push notifications who approved this? ads from my wallet app? Oh hell no. For the latest and more interesting tech news, keep reading Indiatimes Tech.
