Apple is making a bold move to promote its upcoming F1 racing movie starring Brad Pitt, and it’s pulling out all the stops. This morning, many users, including some Verge staffers, noticed an unusual notification from Apple Wallet that doubles as both an advertisement and a promotional offer for the film. The message encourages users to save on movie tickets through Fandango using a special promo code—“APPLEPAYTEN”—with the deal ending on June 29 or while supplies last. The notification reads: “Save on 2+ tickets to F1 The Movie with APPLEPAYTEN. Ends 6/29. While supplies last. Terms apply.”
It appears Apple is trying to boost the film’s opening weekend by enticing users with a tempting deal. However, this move has sparked mixed reactions. Many recipients found the notification intrusive, recalling past missteps like the infamous 2014 U2 album giveaway. Back then, Apple gifted over 500 million iTunes accounts with U2’s album without an easy way to remove it, leading to a costly backlash that reportedly cost the company more than $100 million. In response, Apple later released a tool to help users delete the unwanted album.
More recently, Apple faced similar criticism when it sent push notifications promoting Carpool Karaoke, one of its early hits on Apple TV Plus. Whether it’s the quality of the film or the aggressive advertising tactics, many see this as a push that feels a bit over the top—especially in 2025, when Apple’s advertising efforts are often scrutinized.
We’ve reached out to Apple for more details about this notification and will update this post with any new information.
