Now You Can Buy A (Smart) Car On Sina Weibo
Necklace by Bao Bao Wan
One month after launching its WeiboPay service and partnering with China's leading budget smartphone maker Xiaomi to sell its MI2 device, today Sina Weibo launched a new campaign to sell a slightly larger object: a special edition Smart Fourtwo. Limited to only 666 units, users can pre-register to purchase the striking yellow-and-blue Chinese New Year model (unveiled earlier today) through January 18. In addition to the usual bells and whistles, the vehicle comes accompanied by a special blue exterior decal and necklace — featuring a snake weaving through the Smart logo — created by jewelry designer Bao Bao Wan (previously on Jing Daily).
If selected, lottery-style, on January 18, buyers then must pay a 1,999 yuan (US$ 321) deposit before January 21. Then, starting on January 24, selected buyers will be contacted directly by their local Smart dealer to make the final purchase (128,888 yuan, $ 20,724). Though not the first time a Chinese platform has sold a car — here Lamborghini's Tmall store springs to mind — this is a big step for Sina Weibo into the world of O2O (online-to-offline) e-commerce, possibly testing the waters for even bigger and better brand partnerships.
In advance of the buyer registration launch on January 18, Weibo users can retweet a message promoting the contest through the official campaign page for the chance to win an iPad (three winners), Smart backpack (100), Smart/Weibo stuffed animal (1,500), or Smart keychain (600).
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