BMW Owners Furious After ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Ads Suddenly Appear Inside Their Cars: “F*** This”

BMW is facing backlash from some of its customers after drivers noticed advertisements for Spider-Man: Brand New Day appearing on their vehicle screens. The promotion, created through a partnership between BMW and Sony-Marvel, has sparked debate over whether automakers should use in-car displays for outside advertising.

The ads reportedly started appearing on newer BMW models last week, with some owners saying they were surprised to see a movie promotion when starting vehicles that can cost well over $100,000. According to BMW’s own announcement, the Spider-Man: Brand New Day campaign was designed as a “special surprise” for drivers and was scheduled to run until August 10.

However, many BMW owners did not see it as a fun surprise. Instead, some took to Reddit and other online communities to complain that advertisements were appearing inside a space they consider personal.

Comments from BMW forums included reactions such as “That’s some absolute bullshit,” “Insanely dystopian,” and “$130K to get a Spider-Man commercial.” Another user compared the experience to a “Black Mirror episode,” while others questioned whether luxury car owners should have to deal with ads after spending large amounts of money on their vehicles.

The promotion works by showing a banner when the car is turned on. Drivers can click on the banner to watch the full video, meaning the ad is not forced to play automatically. Still, some owners argue that the problem is not just the advertisement itself, but the idea that car screens are becoming another place for companies to sell products.

One BMW owner on Reddit explained the concern, writing that the company has slowly increased the amount of promotional content shown on vehicle screens. “They started off with mostly just celebratory videos, which slowly became ads about their own products, and now they feel confident enough to move on to third-party ads,” the user wrote.

The owner also argued that modern cars make drivers dependent on their built-in screens because many basic controls are now handled digitally. “With the screen controlling almost every feature of the car, you’re essentially forced to watch the ad before you can interact with your own property,” they added.

Some users compared BMW’s move to Apple’s controversial 2014 decision to automatically add a U2 album to the music libraries of millions of customers. That promotion was widely criticized because many users felt content had been placed on their devices without permission.

The Spider-Man campaign is also interesting because the relationship between BMW and the movie works both ways. In Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Tom Holland’s Peter Parker uses a BMW during one scene, where the vehicle’s Sport Mode feature is highlighted. Product placement in movies is common, with brands often paying to have their cars featured on screen. However, some BMW customers feel the new campaign reverses that relationship by bringing movie advertising directly into their own vehicles.

According to TechSpot, BMW previously suggested that it did not plan to use vehicle displays as traditional advertising space. During an industry discussion in December 2023, BMW senior vice president Stephan Durach reportedly said, “To say I’m selling the screen to play a commercial — I don’t see it. It’s a private space.”

BMW has not publicly responded to the criticism surrounding the Spider-Man promotion. For now, the debate highlights a larger question facing car companies as vehicles become more connected: where should companies draw the line between useful digital features and unwanted advertising?

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