32 Fascinating Stories Behind Famous Brands Told in Movies and TV Series

Keen on blending entertainment with insight, and interested in entrepreneurship, business growth, or specific companies and industries? Find a comprehensive list of movies and series about famous brands in this article.

Read this article to know:

• What are brand biopics and why watch them?
• 32 brand biopics over the last 25 years:
  • Technology brands
  • Legendary automobile brands
  • Food and beverage giants
  • Apparel, footwear and fashion
  • Entertainment and media
  • Other industries
• At-a-glance list of brand biopics
• Final thoughts

What Are Brand Biopics and Why Watch Them?

There was an obvious trend in Hollywood movies in 2023: the rise of the corporate biopic, or the “brandopic”, as termed by Darren Mooney, a journalist and renowned pop culture critic.

The product biopic, a genre of film that takes the cinematic language traditionally reserved for important historical figures or true events and applies them to the origin of a consumer product. Call it a “commodopic” or a “brandopic.”

If you are interested in business and entrepreneurship, or specific companies or industries, watching a brand biopic is an excellent way to blend a entertainment with utility. These films provide historical insights into how a brand was built, including the challenges, strategies, and decisions that led to its success or failure. This can be both educational and inspirational for entrepreneurs and business professionals, and it can stimulate creative thinking and provide new perspectives on addressing challenges in various professional fields.

For these reasons, I've compiled the most comprehensive list of films and TV series with stories about famous brands, based on or inspired by true events, to help you decide what to watch in the evening — a task that is often challenging.

32 Brand Biopics Over the Last 25 Years

Important Notes:

1. This list is organised by industry and presented in chronological order of release, not ranked by viewing priority. For rankings or recommendations on what to watch, please refer to my article where I assess the most and least successful brand biopics based on recognition among professionals, popularity and acceptance by the general audience, and financial performance. That article can help you prioritise your viewing choices and decide where to begin.
2. Not all feature a consumer product as the main character. Many films focus on the stories of brands' and products' creators and owners, emphasising the drama or significant episodes in their lives. Nonetheless, these personal stories are integral to the brand's narrative.

# 1 - Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999): This film chronicles the rise of the personal computer era through the competition and personal battles between Steve Jobs of Apple and Bill Gates of Microsoft.

# 2 - The Social Network (2010): This movie portrays the founding of Facebook by Mark Zuckerberg and the subsequent legal battles over the company's ownership.

# 3 - Jobs (2013): This biographical drama focuses on the career of Steve Jobs, highlighting his early days at Apple, his fall from grace, and his triumphant return to the company.

# 4 - Steve Jobs (2015): Structured around three pivotal product launches, this film delves into the professional and personal complexities of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

# 5 - The Billion Dollar Code (2021) dramatises the legal battle between German computer scientists who claim they invented Google Earth's algorithm and Google, exploring themes of creativity, recognition, and justice in the digital age.

# 6 - The Dropout (2022): This series dramatises the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes and her company, Theranos, which promised to revolutionise the healthcare industry with a blood-testing device.

# 7 - Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber (2022): This series tells the story of Uber's aggressive growth, focusing on its CEO Travis Kalanick and the controversies that surrounded the company.

# 8 - The Playlist (2022) is a gripping narrative about the creation of Spotify, depicting the challenges and innovations behind transforming music listening and the industry itself through streaming technology.

# 9 - BlackBerry (2023): This film narrates the rise and fall of the BlackBerry, once the world's most popular smartphone, focusing on the company's founders and the challenges they faced.

# 10 - Harley and the Davidsons (2016): This miniseries dramatises the birth of the Harley-Davidson brand and follows the founders as they navigate the challenges of establishing their motorcycle business in the early 20th century.

# 11 - Le Mans '66 (Ford v Ferrari) (2019): This film tells the true story of American car designer Carroll Shelby and driver Ken Miles as they build a revolutionary race car for Ford to challenge Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966.

# 12 - Lamborghini (2022): The biopic explores the life of Ferruccio Lamborghini, from the creation of his industrial empire to his venture into the world of sports cars, culminating in the rivalry with Enzo Ferrari.

# 13 - Ferrari (2023): This movie delves into the life of Enzo Ferrari, focusing on a pivotal year in the 1950s when he faced personal and professional challenges while striving for excellence in the world of Formula One racing.

# 14 - The Founder (2016): This film tells the story of Ray Kroc, a struggling salesman who turned McDonald's from a small San Bernardino burger joint into a global fast-food empire, ultimately seizing control from the original founders.

# 15 - Flamin’ Hot (2023): Based on a true story, this movie depicts the journey of Richard Montañez, a Frito-Lay janitor who innovated the snack world by creating the spicy sensation, Flamin' Hot Cheetos, overcoming adversity and transforming his life and the snacking industry.

#16 - Coco Before Chanel (2009): This biopic focuses on the early life of Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, the legendary French fashion designer who revolutionised women's fashion by championing elegance through simplicity.

#17 - House of Versace (2013): This film explores the life of Donatella Versace as she takes over the Versace fashion empire following the murder of her brother, Gianni Versace.

#18 - Yves Saint Laurent (2014): This movie delves into the life of the iconic fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent, focusing on his career, personal struggles, and his relationship with his lover and business partner, Pierre Bergé.

#19 - House of Gucci (2021): Chronicling the events and family dynamics that led to the downfall of the Gucci dynasty, this film delves into ambition, greed, betrayal, and murder within the famous fashion house.

#20 - Air (2023): This drama tells the story behind the creation of the first Air Jordan sneakers, highlighting the partnership between Nike and Michael Jordan and how it changed the world of sports marketing.

#21 - The New Look (2024): This series, set against the backdrop of World War II and its aftermath, focuses on Christian Dior and the creation of his revolutionary "New Look" that redefined women's fashion in the post-war era.

#22 - Saving Mr. Banks (2013): This film delves into the behind-the-scenes story of the making of "Mary Poppins," highlighting the challenging negotiations between Walt Disney and author P.L. Travers, whose book inspired the classic film.

#23 - Walt Before Mickey (2015): This biographical drama focuses on the early years of Walt Disney's career, chronicling his struggles, failures, and perseverance leading up to the creation of Mickey Mouse.

# 24 - Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game (2022): This movie is based on the true story of Roger Sharpe, who testified in a New York City courtroom in 1976 that pinball was a game of skill, not luck, effectively lifting the ban on pinball.

# 25 - Gran Turismo (2023): Inspired by true events, this film follows a teenage gamer who transitions from virtual racing in the Gran Turismo video game series to becoming a professional race car driver through a Nissan competition.

# 26 - Tetris (2023): The movie tells the gripping tale of the legal battles and behind-the-scenes negotiations that led to the global distribution of the iconic video game Tetris.

#27 - Hell on Heels: The Battle of Mary Kay (2002): This TV movie dramatises the rivalry between Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, and Jinger Heath, founder of BeautiControl, showcasing their battle for control in the cosmetics industry.

#28 - Moneyball (2011): Based on a true story, this film follows Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland A's, who reinvents his team on a tight budget by outsmarting the richer ball clubs using computer-generated analysis to acquire new players.

#29 - Joy (2015): This biographical drama tells the story of Joy Mangano, a self-made millionaire who invents the Miracle Mop and faces personal and professional challenges on her path to success.

#30 - WeCrashed (2022): This series chronicles the rise and fall of WeWork, one of the world's most valuable startups, and the narcissism and greed that led to its downfall, focusing on its charismatic CEO, Adam Neumann.

#31 - Dumb Money (2023): This film recounts the story of the GameStop stock trading frenzy of 2021, highlighting how a group of amateur traders on Reddit took on Wall Street's hedge funds, causing a massive market upheaval.

#32 - The Beanie Bubble (2023): This movie explores the Beanie Baby craze of the 1990s, delving into the mania that drove the collectible toy's skyrocketing and eventual plummeting value, and the impact it had on the collectors and the company.

At-a-Glance List of Brand Biopics

Here is the complete list of brand biopics, summarised for a quick overview. It allows you to choose the industry or brand that interests you most and start watching.

Life is too short for bad movies. If you're looking to make a more informed choice, consider reading my article where I assess the most and least successful brand biopics based on statistics and data analysis. This article will help you prioritise them and decide which one to start with.

Final Thoughts

Based on the upcoming 2024 films and series, it seems brand biopics will give way to music biopics, featuring stories of remarkable musical artists. However, Netflix is set to release Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story in May, a comedy about the Kellogg's and Post Cereal competition in producing a revolutionary breakfast pastry, making it an excellent time to explore titles from this list.

And a kind reminder: while brand biopics can be entertaining, they don't always stick strictly to the facts. They do not tell 100% truth and often blend fiction with real-life events. For authentic stories, it's advisable to refer to reputable sources such as company websites or, at least, Wikipedia.