With Brad Pitt’s highly anticipated Formula One movie set to premiere this week, Apple attempted to entice iPhone users with a promotional offer. However, the strategy seems to have backfired, sparking significant backlash among users.
On Tuesday afternoon, numerous iPhone users reported receiving an unexpected push notification from their Wallet app. The notification offered a $10 discount on the purchase of two tickets to the film via Fandango. This promotion is part of Apple’s broader strategy, as the company is one of the film’s distributors, with plans to eventually stream it on Apple TV+.
Apple’s Promotional Strategy Backfires
The promotion was intended to drive theater attendance but instead drew ire from users who felt it was an unwelcome intrusion. The controversy echoes a previous incident involving Apple, where the company automatically downloaded U2’s “Songs of Innocence” album onto millions of iPhones, leading to widespread criticism.
Many users took to social media to express their displeasure, comparing the situation to the U2 debacle. One user on X wrote,
“I love living in the future where the manufacturer of my phone makes a movie and sends me advertisement push notifications via my wallet.”
Another user expressed frustration over the breach of trust, stating they disabled Wallet app notifications as a result.
Historical Context: The U2 Album Incident
The uproar over the F1 movie promotion is reminiscent of the backlash Apple faced in 2014 when it automatically added U2’s album to users’ iTunes libraries. At the time, many iPhone users were upset by what they perceived as an invasion of privacy and a disregard for their personal music collections.
U2 frontman Bono later apologized, explaining that the intention was to make the album accessible to a wider audience. He likened the situation to delivering a pint of milk to people’s front porches, only to find it ended up in their fridges uninvited.
Lessons Learned and User Reactions
Despite the lessons from the U2 incident, Apple’s recent move suggests a recurring theme of overreach in its promotional strategies. Users who left Android for a more curated experience on iOS expressed disappointment, emphasizing that they did not expect unsolicited advertisements on their devices.
One iPhone user summed up the sentiment on a popular iOS subreddit:
“I did not pay over $1000 for an iPhone to get advertised at.”
Managing Wallet App Notifications
For those frustrated by the F1 promotion, managing Wallet app notifications is a straightforward process. Users can open the Settings app, select the Notifications pane, scroll to the Wallet listing, and toggle off “Allow Notifications.” In iOS 26, users will have the option to disable notifications specifically for “Offers & Promotions.”
This added granularity suggests that Apple may continue to explore promotional notifications, though it remains to be seen if they will tread more carefully in future campaigns.
The Bigger Picture: Anticipation for the F1 Movie
Despite the controversy, the F1 movie itself is generating considerable buzz. The film, featuring Brad Pitt as a retired Formula One driver mentoring a new talent, promises thrilling drama and high-octane action. Produced by the team behind “Top Gun: Maverick,” early reviews have been overwhelmingly positive.
As the film prepares to hit theaters, the combination of Pitt’s star power and Apple’s promotional efforts might still position it as a summer blockbuster, notwithstanding the marketing missteps.
As the dust settles from this promotional misadventure, Apple will need to consider how to balance its marketing ambitions with user expectations to avoid similar backlash in the future.
