When car screens become advertising space, owners notice The row over BMW’s Spider-Man promotion is not really about superheroes. It is about trust, control and the creeping feeling that modern cars are becoming digital platforms first and private possessions second. Share with friends In late July, some BMW drivers discovered a promotional message for Spider-Man: Brand New Day on their infotainment screens. The campaign used BMW’s iDrive Festive App and appeared in compatible vehicles across more than 70 countries. It was linked to cars built after July 2020 running iDrive Operating Systems 7 to X, and was scheduled to run until 10 August 2026. Drivers could reportedly choose to open the full-screen animation, but the initial presence of the banner was enough to provoke criticism. BMW may have seen the campaign as playful and temporary. From a marketing point of view, it fitted neatly with the company’s wider connection to the film, including vehicle appearances and promotional activity around the new iX3. Yet owners did not necessarily see it that way. To them, the issue was simpler: a message they had not requested appeared on a screen inside a car they had paid for. That screen is important. In older cars, the dashboard was mainly mechanical and informational. In modern vehicles, it is the gateway to navigation, media, phone integration, charging, climate settings and vehicle functions. It is no longer a decorative add-on. It is the command centre. When a company uses that space for promotion, even briefly, it risks blurring the line between service and intrusion. The timing also made the reaction sharper. BMW has already faced criticism for its approach to digital monetisation, most notably with heated-seat subscriptions in some markets. Although the company later stepped back from that idea, the episode left a lasting impression. Many customers