Luxury Car Owners Fuming Over Spider-Man In-Dash Ads

BMW owners are still upset after the German automaker started pushing ads for Spider-Man: Brand New Day right onto their car dashboards. The move has sparked outrage across social media, with drivers saying they did not sign up to watch commercials in a vehicle they paid top dollar for. The Hollywood Reporter says BMW rolled out the ads as part of a deal with Sony and Marvel. The campaign ran through August 10 and hit newer BMW models in more than 70 countries. Some of these cars sell for as much as $160,000, which makes the surprise ads feel even more off-putting to buyers. When a driver started the luxury car, a banner for the film popped up on the center screen. Tapping it launched a full-screen animation with music and ambient lighting effects. BMW calls it a “special surprise,” but many owners say it feels more like an intrusion into their private space. One driver warned that this could be the start of a slippery slope. He said BMW first showed celebratory clips, then moved to ads for its own products, and now it is running third-party movie promos. With the dashboard screen controlling nearly every function in modern BMWs, some owners feel they have no choice but to see the ...