BMW is playing Spider-Man ads on car screens and owners are not happy: ‘This is the opposite of luxury’

BMW owners are seeing red — literally and figuratively — as the automaker has started playing ads for the new Spider-Man movie on its in-car infotainment screens. The full-screen animation, displayed on BMW’s main Control Display, has sparked criticism that the German automaker is turning private cars into advertising space — without giving drivers the option to opt out.BMW owners are unhappy with the Spider-Man ad playing inside their cars. (X/trending_tony)The Spider-Man ads are playing on BMW dashboards despite the fact that just three years ago, BMW executives said the inside of a car was “a private space” and not a place for advertising, Autoweek reported.Ad sparks outrageThe dashboard ads have sparked massive criticism against the German automaker, while raising concerns about other companies treating in-car consoles as advertising spaces.“Of all the brands I thought might bombard with in car ads on screen right when you start the engine, I had BMW pretty dang low on my l. This seems the opposite of luxury and performance,” wrote Josh Elman, a Partner at Andreessen Horowitz.Sheel Mohnot said the whole thing seemed “crazy”. “When you start a BMW, it shows you an ad for Spider Man. Really cheapens BMW imo,” Mohnot said on X.Software engineer Gergely Orosz was also among the critics. “Absolute madness. Why would anyone pay any premium for a BMW from now on when they become the product with force pushed ads after dropping $50K+ (or more) on a new car,” he wondered.Sentiments were similar on Reddit, where many pointed out that the Spider-Man ad did not come with a skip button.What consumer advocates sayThe ad campaign was launched July 27 and will run through August 10. BMW said that the ad does not autoplay, but begins only after the driver selects the on-screen prompt.Meanwhile, consumer advocates have raised concerns about in-car ads risking driver safety.“These display screens are supposed to provide drivers with easy access to car controls like navigation, climate control, backup camera video, etc.,” Edgar Dworsky, founder of ConsumerWorld.org and a former assant Massachusetts attorney general who worked in consumer protection, told The New York Post.“Drivers don’t expect to be subjected to video advertising in the privacy of their own car and they shouldn’t be.”