German automaker BMW has come under fire from car owners for displaying promotional content for the film Spider-Man: Brand New Day on the central displays of its vehicles. When the engine is started, a themed banner appears on the screen of supported models, and clicking it launches a full-screen animation with sound and changes to the interior lighting, reports infohub.kz.
According to Engadget, the automaker is rolling out pop-up banners and promo animations for Spider-Man: Brand New Day on car screens in more than 70 countries. The company calls the campaign a "special surprise" for drivers and part of a cross-promotion with Sony Pictures, which also includes the BMW iX3 Flow concept car.
The banners affect vehicles built after July 2020 and will run until August 10. Owners of premium cars are upset by the appearance of third-party commercial messages on the screens of vehicles they purchased. Critics also recalled that in 2023, BMW management publicly promised not to turn car displays into advertising platforms.