BMW put Spider-Man: Brand New Day ads on customers’ dashboard screens

BMW drivers started their cars and found Spider-Man waiting on the Control Display. A banner promoting Spider-Man: Brand New Day had been sent to compatible vehicles across more than 70 countries. Tap it, and a full-screen animation played with music and an ambient light show.

BMW described it as a special surprise for customers. Many owners saw something simpler. An ad had appeared inside a car they had already paid for.

The promotion began on 27 July 2026 and runs until 10 August. It forms part of BMW’s global partnership with Sony Pictures for the new Spider-Man film. However, the dashboard placement quickly became the part of the campaign receiving the most attention.

Spider-Man entered through the Control Display

The promotion appears as a banner when the car starts. It tells the driver that Spider-Man has dropped into their BMW and invites them to open the experience.

The animation does not play automatically. Drivers have to tap the banner first. Once opened, it takes over the Control Display while the car’s speakers and ambient lighting join the sequence.

Spider-Man swings through a city as a BMW drives below him. The film then ends with branding for BMW and Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

The activation reached compatible BMWs made after July 2020 using Operating Systems 7, 8, 8.5, 9 or X. Meanwhile, drivers who ignored the banner could still find the promotion saved inside the car as an app.

That technical distinction mattered to BMW. The brand said customers were being offered an optional themed experience. Still, the first thing many drivers saw after starting their car was a promotion for a film.

The partnership went far beyond the dashboard

BMW had built a much larger collaboration around Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

The BMW iX3 and 5 Series Sedan both appear inside the film. BMW also created a one-off iX3 Flow with animated full-colour E Ink panels inspired by Spider-Man’s movements and costume. After the premiere, the car went on display at BMW Welt in Munich.

Meanwhile, a teaser film called The Big Screen placed Spider-Man beside a charging BMW iX3. A young boy spots him on a skyscraper before the superhero lands on the car and swings away.

Each part helped BMW connect the arrival of its new Neue Klasse vehicles with a major film release. The cars appeared on cinema screens, in advertising and at physical exhibitions.

Then the partnership entered vehicles that customers already owned.

BMW had previously called the cabin a private space

The reaction became sharper because BMW had already discussed the idea of advertising inside its cars.

In 2023, BMW connected-company executive Stephan Durach was asked whether the company might sell space on its screens for commercials. He said he did not see that happening and described the car’s interior as a private space.

Three years later, owners were seeing a Spider-Man promotion when they switched on their BMWs.

BMW maintains that the Festive App is not an advertising platform. It has previously used the same feature for Christmas, New Year and other seasonal animations. However, those experiences came from BMW itself. This one promoted a third-party film and ended with a cinema release message.

That difference was enough to make drivers question where themed content ends and advertising begins.

What Made It Different

The campaign found a media space that almost guaranteed attention. The screen was already inside the vehicle. BMW controlled the software. Spider-Man could appear directly in front of the driver without another app, website or billboard getting involved.

That access also created the problem.

A dashboard is part of a product the customer owns. It controls navigation, music, settings and other parts of the driving experience. Sending promotional content into that space feels different from placing the same animation on social media.

The Spider-Man sequence was optional. The decision to place its banner inside the car was not.

BMW may have created one of the most difficult film promotions to ignore. It also gave drivers a reason to start asking who their dashboard really belongs to.

Credits

BMW x Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026). BMW and Sony Pictures, global campaign. Agency: Jung von Matt Hamburg. Global entertainment partnership: UEG. Production: Parasol Island. Directors: Hot Icarus. Spider-Man stunt double: Luke Scott.