BMW owners have recently expressed strong irritation over a promotional initiative that brought a Spider-Man: Brand New Day advertisement directly to their infotainment screens. The ad appears as a notification when starting the car, and tapping it triggers a full-screen 19-second animation with music and coordinated lighting. The campaign, which started on July 27 and runs through August 10, affected vehicles built after July 2020 with BMW Operating System 7 or newer, across more than 70 markets.
Owner backlash on social media is immediate and harsh
Many drivers took to Reddit to voice their discontent, calling the initiative “classless and tacky” for a car that costs over $100,000, while others used words like “disgusting.” Numerous users demanded an opt-out button, predicting that more ads could follow. Some compared the move to U2's “Songs of Innocence” album that Apple forcibly pushed to iTunes users in 2014, without the ability to decline or delete it, causing widespread backlash. Apple eventually introduced a removal tool.
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BMW calls it an exclusive surprise, but customers aren't buying it
In a late July press release, BMW presented the campaign as an “exclusive Spider-Man animation” and a “special surprise” for owners. According to the automaker, a banner appears in the Control Display when starting the car; clicking it activates the festive full-screen animation, accompanied by music and ambient lighting effects. The notification is sent automatically to compatible vehicles, but drivers can avoid the ad by simply not tapping it. The animation has also been added to the Festive app in the car's system.
In response to complaints, BMW told The Autopian that the animation is not an advertisement but “part of a broader brand partnership with the film.” BMW vehicles also appear in the Spider-Man movie. However, many owners find it too close to a commercial, despite BMW having previously sent similar animated videos for holidays. As Daring Fireball points out, BMW had stated in late 2023 that it would not sell advertising on its in-car displays.
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This incident raises important questions about the relationship between automakers and customers, especially in an era of increasing vehicle connectivity. BMW's decision to send unsolicited promotional content could damage consumer trust, particularly given the high price of these vehicles. While BMW was among the first to adopt Apple's CarPlay, this notification does not come through CarPlay but is part of the default infotainment operating system. For those interested in how automakers handle onboard software, you can read about iOS 27's compact clock.
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The question many are asking is whether this is an isolated strategy or the beginning of a new trend. In a market where customization and user experience are paramount, actions like this could prove counterproductive. The German automaker will need to carefully assess customer reactions to avoid turning a simple promotion into a reputational crisis. In the meantime, owners can only hope that BMW listens to the criticism and offers the ability to disable such content in the future, as other companies have done. This story remains a telling example of how new technologies can create unexpected tensions between brands and consumers.
Source: https://www.macrumors.com/2026/08/06/bmw-spider-man-ads
