BMW drivers were outraged by the "Spider-Man" advertisement in the car interior

BMW has launched an advertising campaign for the movie "Spider-Man: A New Day" on the central displays of cars, effectively turning the multimedia system screen into a movie promotion platform. This caused criticism from users, as representatives of the Bavarian concern had previously stressed that the interior of the car was a "personal space" not intended for commercial content. This is reported by the Techspot portal.

The campaign started on July 27 and will last until August 10 in more than 70 countries. On compatible cars, when the engine starts, a banner appears on the main screen, and when clicked, an animation with visual and sound effects plays. We are talking about models released after July 2020 and equipped with BMW operating systems versions 7-9.

According to the brand's press service, this project is part of a broad partnership - BMW cars are involved in the Spider—Man film, and a special version of the iX3 crossover was shown at the premiere of the film in Los Angeles.

Not all car owners were satisfied with the introduction of such a feature, the note says. The main complaint boils down to the fact that commercial content is shown inside an already purchased product and appears on the screen that the driver uses every time the car starts. Back in 2023, Stefan Durach, who is responsible for user experience and interfaces at BMW Group, noted that the company was not considering selling screen space for advertising, emphasizing the private nature of the car interior.

"The situation shows how software-defined cars are turning on-board screens into a place where automakers can monetize drivers' attention in a new way," the note says.

In 2022, BMW was criticized when it decided to introduce a subscription fee for heated seats, and later recognized this experiment as unsuccessful.

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BMW plans to cut about 8,000 jobs in Germany by the end of 2027 due to declining profits and weak demand. As noted on July 29, the group of companies currently employs about 150,000 people worldwide.