'It is not a form of advertising': BMW defends Spider-Man pop-up ads that have infuriated customers
BMW hits back at Spider-Man promo backlash
by https://www.techradar.com/author/leon-poultney · TechRadarNews By Leon Poultney Published 5 August 2026
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- Customers hit out at connected cars as Spider-Man ‘ads’ appear in vehicles
- BMW says the Festive App is not a form of advertising
- Backlash against connected cars intensifies online
Last week, reports emerged in the US of BMW owners receiving “pop-up ads” that promoted the German brand’s involvement with the new Spider-Man: Brand New Day movie.
BMW vehicles appear throughout the super hero caper in typical summer blockbuster product-placement fashion, but BMW pushed things further by running what it calls “themed animations and messages” on the infotainment systems of a select number of connected vehicles.
Owners quickly took to internet forums to complain about these “pop-up ads,” which appeared in the form of a message that asked them whether or not they would like to launch the animation.
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However, BMW has now defended itself against the outcry. “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. It is not a form of advertising,” a BMW spokesperson said when we reached out for comment.
spidermanbrandnewday from r/SpidermanBrandNewDay/comments/1v803or/got_this_commercial_in_my_car_today_as_part_of
According to the German marque, customers can not only choose whether or not they want to see the Spider-Man content, but it is also only available when the vehicle is stationary.
The spokesperson we contacted also stated that the Spider-Man tie-in was only available in certain markets, stressing that it was not available in the UK or Ireland.
While it can be argued that offering Spider-Man themed videos to showcase the abilities of today's infotainment systems is just a bit of fun, the online backlash so far has been overwhelmingly negative.
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