The Grip is a 30-second commercial for Pirelli Tires, designed to grab and hold the attention of viewers and leave them with an indelible impression. The spot was directed by Jan De Bont, ASC, who was at the helm on such visually graphic films as Speed and Twister. His cinematography credits include The Hunt for Red October and Black Rain.

The Grip was conceived by Agenzia Armando Testa, an ad shop headquartered in Milan, Italy. It is a visually oriented short story without a word of dialogue.

The commercial opens with images of fishermen going out to sea in rough weather. One of them hooks a big catch. Within seconds, the prey becomes the predator. It yanks back on the line and stops the boat dead in the water. A sense of fear and desperation is evident on the faces of the fishermen. What could be exerting that much force? The answer is soon revealed to be a Pirelli tire.