BMW is forcing a weird Spider-Man ad onto its dashboard displays

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BMW is forcing a weird Spider-Man ad onto its dashboard displays

Engadget · 2 hours ago

BMW is facing customer backlash after using dashboard displays across its vehicles to promote the film Spider-Man: Brand New Day, in a cross-promotional tie-in that also markets a related concept car. A Spider-Man banner appears when drivers start their car, and tapping it triggers an animation using the vehicle's ambient lighting and audio systems; owners have criticised the move as an unwelcome intrusion into a private, expensive space, and it is seen as particularly awkward given BMW previously insisted it would never sell advertising space on its screens.

The promotion runs from 27 July to 10 August across more than 70 countries on supported BMW vehicles made after 2020, and ties in with the BMW iX3 Flow – Spider-Man Brand New Day, a concept vehicle developed with Sony/Marvel using BMW's e-ink exterior technology. BMW has defended the campaign, saying it is part of a broader brand partnership and that the animation only plays if drivers actively initiate it, though some owners report the prompt appearing automatically. The backlash echoes a previous controversy in which BMW charged a subscription fee to activate pre-installed heated seats, a move it later reversed following public criticism.

  • BMW is showing Spider-Man movie ads on car dashboard displays.
  • Promotion runs 27 July–10 August in over 70 countries.
  • Echoes past backlash over BMW's heated-seat subscription fees.

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