Brad Pitt has a theatrical release arriving this month with The Heart of the Beast, a drama centred on an emotionally fractured protagonist who develops a transformative relationship with a canine companion. If the premise rings a bell, that may be because similar narratives have appeared in films such as The Call of the Wild, A Dog's Way Home, and Dog. The formula, it seems, has become familiar territory in contemporary cinema.
Yet Pitt appears to recognise that marketing a film as formulaic as The Heart of the Beast presents considerable challenges. This realisation may explain his recent venture into advertising: a commercial that functions far more like the Brad Pitt dog film that audiences might actually want to watch. In essence, it is a two-minute spot in which Pitt endures sustained ridicule from a substantial ensemble of dogs.
The campaign promotes the De'Longhi Magnifica Duo, an espresso machine that retails for approximately £700 in the UK, though according to reporting from a major American news outlet, the machine carries a $1,000 price tag in the United States. However, the product itself becomes secondary to the advertisement's central conceit: Pitt stumbling about in confusion while a collection of real dogs—each with individual names, some dressed in human attire—hurl insults at him throughout the nearly two-minute runtime.
As Pitt enters his living room, the dogs (rendered in subtitles) criticise him for waking late. They demand he prepare hot coffee, and despite his initial attempt to make a cold beverage, he abandons the effort and complies with visible reluctance. Another dog then withholds coffee entirely until his demeanour improves.
"OK,"he responds in a mumble, adopting the tone of a weary sitcom patriarch. The dogs continue their assault on his cleanliness and intelligence, and when he finally retaliates by instructing them to fetch a stick, they reverse the command and force him to retrieve it for them instead.
The advertisement occupies an unusual territory. It recalls certain bizarre international commercials from previous years, yet it differs fundamentally in its intentionality. While some celebrity advertisements seem designed to escape public notice, this campaign was explicitly created for American audiences and distribution. Pitt clearly intends for people to see it.
The deliberate strangeness becomes comprehensible when considering the creative direction. The advertisement was directed by Spike Jonze, the acclaimed filmmaker who has not released a feature film in thirteen years. The cinema world has awaited a new Jonze project, and if the closest approximation is a commercial featuring Pitt being insulted by a dog named Kyle, audiences may have to accept that as sufficient.
Upon reflection, the advertisement represents a shrewd career move for Pitt. Measured against the derivative, grim Americana of The Heart of the Beast, the commercial demonstrates his considerable capacity for comedy. Moreover, by establishing a connection between Pitt and dogs, it creates implicit synergy with his theatrical film release.
The spot also surpasses Pitt's earlier De'Longhi advertisements, which typically required minimal performance or personality. Those previous commercials could have featured any actor or even an inanimate object; the execution was interchangeable. This new campaign, by contrast, possesses genuine character and wit.
According to the brand's official announcement, the advertisement features 16 dog "roommates," many of whom Pitt's character has known since college. The campaign forms part of Pitt's established partnership with De'Longhi and is being positioned as a new chapter in the brand's "Hot or Cold, Always Perfetto" campaign.
The advertisement may also serve a broader strategic purpose. Pitt has faced reputational challenges stemming from his separation from Angelina Jolie and subsequent allegations regarding intoxication and violent conduct—a situation paralleling, though less severe than, difficulties encountered by other actors in the public eye. While some celebrities have attempted comebacks through confrontational announcements, Pitt has chosen a different approach: surrounding himself with appealing dogs and adopting a submissive posture toward them. The visual message is unmistakable: how could one maintain anger toward someone so thoroughly dominated by adorable animals?
When will audiences see the campaign?
The global rollout of the De'Longhi campaign is scheduled to commence on September 9, 2026, across broadcast, digital, and social platforms. In Japan specifically, the campaign will be unveiled on September 9, 2026, with video content following on September 22, 2026. Meanwhile, The Heart of the Beast arrives in theatres on September 25, 2026, positioning the advertisement as advance promotion for the film's theatrical debut.
Whether the De'Longhi sales team will deem this campaign successful remains to be seen, but the creative execution appears effective. If fortune favours the endeavour, it may draw Spike Jonze back into feature filmmaking, potentially resulting in a full-length motion picture by the end of 2026.
