BMW Is Putting Ads On Dashboards Now And People Are Furious

BMW owners starting up their vehicles were recently greeted by an unexpected guest on their center infotainment displays: a full-screen advertisement for the film Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

The promotional push, which runs through August 10 across more than 70 global markets, transforms the vehicle's primary digital dashboard into a marketing platform—a move BMW is trying to convince us is actually an exclusive perk.

The ad campaign targets suitably equipped BMW vehicles manufactured after July 2020 running BMW Operating System 7, 8, 8.5, 9, or Operating System X.

The promotion triggers upon starting the vehicle and brings up a promotional banner across the central Control Display. Tapping the banner activates a full-screen animated sequence accompanied by customized background music, and in vehicles equipped with multi-color interior ambient lighting, the system syncs with a cabin light show to match the animation.

In official communications regarding the Hollywood collaboration, BMW calls the dashboard pop-up a "special surprise for its drivers". Several BMW models—including the electric iX3—are featured in the movie itself.

However, the campaign has received sharp pushback from pretty much everyone based on objections to post-purchase monetization. Drivers expect their dashboard displays to remain dedicated to vehicle controls, navigation, and media—not commercial advertising space. If this is ok, what else becomes ok in a post-purchase monetization world?

BMW just can't help itself, it seems. This comes on the heels of the automaker's widely criticized (and ultimately abandoned) attempt to charge monthly subscriptions for heated seats.