BMW is displaying Spider-Man advertisements on the dashboard screens of compatible vehicles when owners start them.
The full-screen animation includes music, ambient lighting, and a movie end card, but the campaign clashes with BMW's earlier claim that its cabin is a private space.
Owners typically use the center screen for navigation, music, settings, and warnings. They probably don't expect it to pitch them a movie.
Yet that's exactly what BMW is doing, and the way it describes the campaign makes it feel even more ridiculous.
As part of a partnership with Sony and Marvel, compatible BMWs show a Spider-Man banner at startup.
Tapping it launches a full-screen animation promoting Spider-Man: Brand New Day, complete with music and an ambient-light show.
The promotion appears in over 70 countries from July 27 through August 10 on suitably equipped vehicles built after July 2020 and running BMW Operating System 7, 8, 8.5, 9, or X.
Not an Autoplay Commercial
To be fair, this isn't an autoplay commercial. Drivers must click the banner to launch the full animation.
But the banner itself still appears on the screen used to operate the car.
BMW calls it a “special surprise” and a “festive animation.”
The ending, which promotes the movie's exclusive theatrical release, looks a lot like an advertisement because it is one.
The timing is especially awkward because BMW previously said it had no interest in selling screen space for commercials.
In December 2023, BMW executive Stephan Durach said he didn't see the company selling screen space for ads because the cabin was “a private space.”
Of course, that was before BMW tried charging customers to activate heated seats already installed in their cars.
The automaker eventually abandoned that subscription after a predictable backlash.
This Spider-Man campaign isn't charging owners anything, but it follows the same broader trend of treating the car as a software platform that can generate revenue long after it leaves the dealership.
BMW confirmed the campaign to The Autopian, stating the “in-vehicle animation is part of a broader brand partnership with the film.
A few of our vehicles – including the BMW iX3 – were in the film, and a special edition iX3 was featured on the red carpet during last night's premiere in Los Angeles.”
BMW has every right to partner with a movie studio. Owners can even choose to watch the animation if they want.
But there's a difference between offering a holiday greeting and turning the dashboard into advertising inventory.
The Spider-Man promotion disappears on August 10. The more troubling idea may stick around.
Buying a luxury car now includes agreeing to let the automaker rent out part of your ownership experience whenever an advertiser pays for it.
