Spider-Man: Brand New Day Ads Take Over BWM Car Dashboards, Proving No Screen Is Safe from Advertising

Disney and Sony’s latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, *Spider-Man: Brand New Day*, nearly hit the incredible milestone of $1 billion at the box office during its opening weekend—and that was just yesterday, so it’s likely that it has already surpassed that figure.

What could be driving such impressive numbers for this new MCU film? Is it simply the enduring popularity of Spider-Man? Did the appearances of Tom Holland and Jon Bernthal on *Hot Ones* give it a boost? Or could it be the ads for *Spider-Man: Brand New Day* that are showing up on the dashboards of BMWs?

As noted by an outlet, BMW owners are encountering a “surprise!” in the form of a new *Spider-Man: Brand New Day* commercial appearing in their vehicles, and understandably, many on the r/BMW subreddit are not thrilled about receiving ad pop-ups in their luxury cars.

Adding to the irony, BMW Group’s Senior VP, Stephan Durach, had previously claimed in late 2023 that the company would never include ads in its vehicles: “To say I’m selling the screen to play a commercial—I don’t see it. It’s a private space.”

BMW OWNERS DIDN’T PAY SIX FIGURES TO WATCH ADS.

BMW owners are voicing their frustration after a full-screen *Spider-Man: Brand New Day* ad reportedly popped up on their dashboard displays. This promotion is linked to BMW’s marketing partnership with the film.

From what I gather, these ads come in two formats: one is a pop-up that displays the message “Surprise! Spider-Man just dropped into your BMW!” and the other is a *Spider-Man: Brand New Day* icon that appears in the menu settings on the BMW dashboard. Clicking either option launches a commercial that takes over the entire dashboard. In one example, Spidey swings down a city street, showcasing a new BMW.

And just speculating here, but does anyone else find something a bit off about this ad? The architecture of some buildings seems strange—there are odd ledges, misaligned windows, and a New York skyline that only vaguely resembles the real thing.

Regardless of the reasons behind the commercial’s peculiar design choices, an outlet has reached out to BMW Group for an official comment and to clarify the extent of its in-car *Spider-Man: Brand New Day* advertising campaign, but no response was received before publication.

Update 8/4/2026, 11:15 a.m. ET: A spokesperson for BMW stated that the Spider-Man animations are “not a form of advertising.”

“The Festive App in the BMW operating system is designed to provide customers with optional themed animations and messages linked to a range of global and local occasions,” they explained in an email. “It is not a form of advertising. Customers receive a pop-up message in the vehicle and can choose whether or not to launch the animation. The animation can only be viewed when the vehicle is stationary. Additionally, it can be accessed manually via the Festive App menu icon if the customer chooses to open it.”