The dystopian future that sci-fi books warned us about is here.
I remember reading Fahrenheit 451 in school, and the part that stood out to me most (for some reason) was the concept of 200-foot-long billboards. This allowed speeding cars to see the message. And with cars getting faster and faster, this doesn’t seem too far off. But Fahrenheit couldn’t predict exactly how the future would be, and it may actually be even more dystopian than Ray Bradbury assumed.
Cars are becoming increasingly connected, featuring features like WiFi, data sharing, over-the-air updates, AI assistants, cloud connectivity, and more. This has allowed for more invasive policies, illegally collected and sold data, and apparently more advertising right inside your vehicle. You don’t even need the massive billboards.
BMW drivers get Spider-Man banner against their will
BMW drivers are in an uproar after a Spider-Man: Brand New Day advertisement was beamed right into everyone’s beamers. As part of BMW’s partnership with Sony Pictures’ new movie, BMW blasted a promotional banner right onto the dashboards of its vehicles in over 70 countries.
The message appeared on the Control Display when the vehicle started up. Drivers could then select to see a full-screen animation with music and ambient lighting. It’s not as dramatic as some of the headlines I’ve been seeing, which make it sound as if the Spider-Man animation is just suddenly swinging around people’s BMWs without any warning. However, the idea that BMW can shoot over advertisements on the dashboard has made drivers rightfully angry just the same.
Vehicles are privately owned and considered someone’s property. The idea of BMW shooting advertisements onto its vehicles feels invasive, similar to a company bombarding your home with promotional banners. People already feel commercial fatigue from TV, streaming, YouTube, and even just being outside. Your car and home can feel like an escape. A chance to be alone and at peace. Starting up your vehicle just to see a Spider-Man advertisement feels jarring.
I can’t imagine spending six figures on a BMW just to be shown a Spider-Man animation against my will.
There is currently no evidence that BMW plans to continue bombarding its drivers with advertisements. But drivers don’t like knowing that they can. And that they sometimes will. You can see the BMW iX3 and 5 Series in the film, which is not as annoying, but will most likely be very obviously an ad for the vehicles.
