Daniel Mercer
BMW is facing significant public criticism for its recent promotion of the film Spider-Man: Brand New Day on the display dashboards of its vehicles. Upon starting their cars, drivers are greeted with a Spider-Man-themed banner. Tapping the banner triggers what BMW describes as a “festive animation” and a “special surprise” for users.
This animation utilizes the vehicle’s audio system and ambient lighting to create an immersive advertising experience for the movie. It features Spider-Man interacting with the BMW iX3 SUV, indicating a strategic cross-promotion aimed at marketing both Spider-Man: Brand New Day and an associated concept vehicle. The aptly named BMW iX3 Flow – Spider-Man Brand New Day was developed in collaboration with Sony/Marvel, showcasing the company’s innovative e-ink technology for vehicle exteriors.
Seems crazy.
The movie Spider-Man: Brand New Day paid BMW to take over the display of every BMW made after 2020.
When you start a BMW, it shows you an ad for Spider Man. Really cheapens BMW imo. https://t.co/ylW3Jgearw pic.twitter.com/OWBBVTMMP3
— Sheel Mohnot (@pitdesi) August 3, 2026
These display advertisements launched on July 27 and will be visible on select BMW vehicles until August 10. This promotional campaign is taking place globally, spanning over 70 countries.
Customers are expressing their discontent with unsolicited advertisements, especially in high-end vehicles. The BMW iX3 SUV featured in the animation starts at $61,500, which makes the imposition of ads particularly controversial. Consumers often tolerate ads on budget devices like Kindles, but many find it unacceptable to encounter advertisements after investing in a luxury vehicle.
As a result, this initiative has sparked significant backlash among customers. Social media and online forums are filled with negative comments. This decision has proven divisive for BMW, especially given its status as a luxury brand. In 2023, Senior Vice President for Connected Company Development, Stephan Durach, strongly rejected the idea of displaying ads in BMW vehicles, stating, “To say I’m selling the screen to play a commercial – I don’t see it. It’s a private space,” according to a transcription by BMW Blog.
In response to the consumer backlash, BMW claims that this is merely “part of a much broader brand partnership” and emphasizes that the animation is “only visible to drivers who proactively initiate it on their vehicle’s touch screen.” However, many drivers report that the banner prompting the animation appears automatically, contradicting this statement.
This is not the first instance of BMW encountering public scrutiny for attempting to extract additional revenue from its customer base. The company previously introduced a subscription service that charged users for activating heated seats already installed in their vehicles, which they quickly retracted following widespread negative feedback.
Ethan Carter
