Brad Pitt's Formula 1 movie pulled in over $150 million at the box office opening weekend.

But here's the real story: he basically starred as a human billboard. Apple secured $40 million in brand sponsorships for a fictional racing team covered in logos from head to toe.

The problem? I bet you can't remember a single one of those brands.

And that's exactly what we need to talk about today—what went right, what went wrong, and what creators can learn about pitching smarter, more impactful brand deals.

The $40 Million Question

Joe and I started the conversation with the obvious question: What would you do with a $40 million brand sponsorship budget?

Joe's answer? "I might get a tattoo. $40 million is a life-changing amount of money to me. And it's literally nothing for Apple."

He's right. Apple is still the highest-valued company in the world—trillions of dollars. This was pocket change.

But how did they sell this to brands? F1 is having its moment with the Netflix series. It's a big-budget movie. Brad Pitt.

Joe nailed it: "I could imagine them going to brands and being like 'We're making an F1 movie with Brad Pitt. Are you in or not? Like, are you an idiot or are you in?'"

The Brands That Said Yes

Here's who bought in:

• Expensify (expense management)

• IWC (luxury watches)

• Tommy Hilfiger (fashion)

• Shark Ninja (kitchen appliances, vacuums)

• Mercedes-Benz

These aren't nobody brands. These are household names.

They even did some interesting activations—one of the drivers wore the fireproof racing suit with all the logos to the Met Gala. (Side note: Did they have to pay the Met Gala to do that, or was it guerrilla-style? I'm genuinely curious.)

But here's my skepticism: Are these brands really going to attribute this marketing stunt to actual sales?

This is classic awareness play. There's very little attribution they can tie back. I don't think Expensify is going to track "We got 10 more Fortune 500 companies to sign up because they watched the F1 movie."

It's a really tough sell.

The Coca-Cola Problem

Joe made a brilliant point: "When brands are looking for awareness, it's almost an easier sell than tying it to conversions. Do you think Coca-Cola knows how many sodas they sold after a Super Bowl ad? No. They just want you to think about Coca-Cola the next time you're buying something."

But that's a consumer product. Not a car. Not enterprise software.

When I'm buying a car, I'm not thinking "Oh yes, Mercedes-Benz kept showing up a lot." It's a very different purchase decision.

Why Brands Are Obsessed With Conversions

So why do so many brands approach influencer marketing as a bottom-of-funnel activity?

Joe nailed it again: "It's the easiest for them to justify. If we're going to spend X dollars and get Y dollars back, that's a very easy math equation."

One of our coaching clients called it a slot machine. You put $1,000 in, you get $12,000 out.

The other reason? The rise of affiliate programs.

Mercedes-Benz and Coca-Cola probably don't have affiliate programs. That would be insane. But a lot of brands approaching creators do. And Joe's first point of contact is usually an affiliate manager trying to get him to join because there's no risk for them.

The Product Placement Fantasy

A lot of creators want to do traditional product placement. You see it in movies, TV shows, late-night talk shows—the mug with the Coke logo, the sponsored desk setup.

"Why can't I do that?" creators ask. "I'm getting millions of views a month. Why can't I have a product on my desk or in my background?"

Joe's response was perfect: "People aren't going to go on the Haunted Mansion because they see a bunch of pictures of the Haunted Mansion in my background."

Even my book, Sponsor Magnet, is visible in Joe's setup sometimes. But how many people buy it just by seeing it on display?

The truth is, there's so much going on in the background that nobody notices.

The Billboard Era Is Over

Joe watches the Yankees every single day. Every. Single. Day.

He couldn't tell you the ads in the outfield. He struggles to remember any sponsors except maybe WB Mason and Delta (because Delta does other things with the Yankees beyond just signage).

"Just seeing a picture of something is not really a strategy," Joe said. "And it's probably why creators can't get that."

Here's the thing: These bigger companies are basically practicing billboard media in an era where it just doesn't work anymore.

When Brands Transition to Awareness

So when does a brand transition from conversion-focused startup to awareness-focused giant?

Joe's answer: "No one doesn't know who Coca-Cola is. No one doesn't know Delta is one of five airlines in the United States. For them, it's less about 'you need to know our value proposition' and more 'we just need you to be top of mind the next time you make a purchase.'"

The lesson for creators? Do your research.

Is this company a startup? Are they medium-sized? Are you seeing them do awareness activities—sponsoring events, buying billboards?

If they don't have any of those things, an awareness pitch probably won't work.

I remember a brand came to me two years ago wanting to sponsor my newsletter. When I asked what success would look like, they said something surprising: "Anytime people hear the word 'membership,' we want them to associate that with our brand name."

That was an awareness play. They wanted to own a term.

That changed everything about how I approached the campaign. I recommended live stream sponsorships in addition to newsletter placements. Different tactics for different goals.

The T-Mobile Lesson

Joe brought up a perfect example of product placement done right: T-Mobile and MLB.

You see their logo everywhere in baseball. But they don't just rely on that.

They have T-Mobile Park. They give MLB TV for free to T-Mobile customers. They donate money per home run hit in the Home Run Derby. You see their ads. You see active campaigns throughout the year.

The brands doing product placement best aren't just relying on the logo. They're showing what they're doing in partnership with the content creator, sports league, or platform.

The YouTube TV Revolution

Here's a stat that changes everything: YouTube recently announced that viewing on TV has surpassed mobile viewing.

Wild, right?

My kids watch YouTube on the TV constantly. Mark Rober, Mr. Beast, whatever.

And I'm starting to see creators adapt. They're putting QR codes on screen in the lower left: "If you want to learn more about the sponsor, scan the code."

Understanding viewer behavior—regardless of platform—and adapting your content accordingly? That's how you increase conversions.

I talked with a food creator recently who has an older demographic. The majority of their viewers are now on TV. That's the number one device type.

Being thoughtful about how you consult your brand partners to get the best results? That's the differentiator.

The Podcast Video Trap

Joe raised another critical point: YouTube announced that podcast consumers want video. There's been a huge spike in people consuming podcasts on YouTube.

But here's what they don't include in that stat: Most people start a podcast and then listen in the background.

So if you're doing a QR code thing for your podcast on YouTube? That's not going to convert. Because most people aren't watching—they're using YouTube to listen.

This is why we need to partner with brands. We can't just say "Sponsor my podcast" or "Put your logo on my iPad in the background."

We need to understand the nuances of how our audience consumes content and consult accordingly.

The Big Takeaway

Creator marketing is still treated as a novelty by traditional brands. Even if every brand does some influencer marketing, it's still a rounding error in most traditional marketing campaigns.

But here's the optimistic take: We're still very early.

Mr. Beast is getting hundreds of millions of views on a single video—literally more than most major sporting events or late-night shows. Huge audiences are consuming creator content regularly.

Traditional incumbents just haven't fully realized the value yet.

And that's our opportunity.

Don't pitch like Brad Pitt's F1 movie—logos everywhere, no strategy, impossible to attribute.

Pitch like T-Mobile and MLB—integrated, strategic, tied to actual business outcomes.

Be a partner, not a billboard.

Want to learn how to pitch brands with strategy instead of just impressions? Join us inside Wizard's Guild, where we teach creators how to consult brands on what actually drives results—not just what looks good in the background.