BMW owners who spent $50,000 on luxury cars are furious after turning their ignitions only to be greeted by a massive Spider-Man: BND commercial

BMW owners are expressing frustration after the company began pushing advertisements for the film Spider-Man: Brand New Day directly onto their vehicle dashboard screens. The campaign, which triggers an animated advertisement on ignition, is active on post-2020 models across more than 70 countries and is scheduled to run through August 10. As detailed by BroBible, the backlash comes from drivers who often spent upward of $50,000 on their vehicles.

The advertisement is a 19-second clip featuring music and synced ambient lighting, designed to catch a driver’s attention the moment the car starts. The push has drawn immediate comparisons to the 2014 incident in which U2 automatically added their album to the music libraries of every iTunes user. Many owners feel the intrusion into their vehicle cheapens the experience they expected when purchasing a premium car.

One user on X, Sheel Mohnot, wrote that the arrangement “really cheapens BMW” now that every post-2020 model displays the ad on startup. Another user, Autism Capital, made a similar comparison the following day, calling it reminiscent of the Apple and U2 controversy from over a decade ago.

The ad push is tied to a much larger Marvel partnership

The campaign is part of a partnership between BMW, Marvel Studios, and Sony Pictures that also integrates BMW vehicles into the film’s plot. The deal is reported to carry a $309 million media value, making it the largest automotive-film partnership on record, and reportedly spans more than 70 markets with social activations, retail tie-ins, and a custom concept car. Some of that same consumer frustration has shown up elsewhere online too, including a Costco seafood boil dispute that went viral this week over pricing complaints.

The backlash is amplified by past comments from BMW leadership about its dashboard displays. In 2023, Stephan Durach, the BMW Group’s Senior VP for connected company development, said the screen was “a private space” that would stay off-limits to third-party advertising. That statement has resurfaced as owners argue the company has now gone back on its word.

Tech commentator Gergely Orosz responded to the backlash on X, questioning why anyone would pay a premium for a BMW “when they become the product with force pushed ads.” The reaction has drawn comparisons online to other consumer trust disputes, including a viral crypto money dispute that also picked up traction this week.

Despite the criticism from owners, the campaign has coincided with major box office success for the film. Sony and Marvel reported that Spider-Man: Brand New Day broke the record previously held by Avengers: Endgame for the biggest domestic opening weekend, bringing in $360 million, and the film is on pace to exceed $1 billion globally within its first week of release.

BMW manages the dashboard advertisements through its ConnectedDrive Store and Remote Software Upgrades systems, the same infrastructure it uses for vehicle maintenance and other connected features. The terms covering how this data is processed are outlined in BMW’s connected services legal documentation.