The Connected Car as an Advertising Platform: How Automakers Turn Dashboards into Billboards

On the morning of November 24, 2025, automotive journalist Zerin Dube opened the door of his Jeep Grand Cherokee, settled into the driver's seat, and pressed the start button. The dashboard came up. The infotainment screen ran its boot animation, blinked to the home view, and then loaded an advertisement on top of the home view.

Not a service reminder, not a recall notice. A promotional offer: $1,500 in Loyalty Retail Bonus Cash toward the purchase of a new Jeep, timed to appear at startup, configured to linger for fifteen seconds, and programmed to return at the next ignition cycle if he failed to dismiss it.

From Stellantis startup pop-ups to GSTV pumps to Gulp Radio aisles, and the consent infrastructure the automobile never developed.