DroxLA

As I was at the store the other day I saw one of many more Smart Cars that I have seen on the road recently. I don’t know if it’s the gas prices or a new hipster trend but are test vehicles really that smart? Yes they’re smaller and may be lighter on the wallet regarding gas but that much better? They still take entire pull in parking spaces, seat only 2 people comfortably and have no storage space. And I think the mileage is still rivaled by a Honda civic hybrid or Prius! I think if rather take a mini or wait for a Chevy volt. That, and I’m not really sure I’d want to be seen in something so diminutive. Reminds me of that Simpson’s episode where the really tall guy is in the little car. Buy those are just my two-cents. Either way, the vending machine for these is still genius!

There are some pretty bad marketing tactics out there. It’s always refreshing to see some innovation and forward-thinking that really catches consumers and creates a memorable message. As seen above, Smart Car is the latest in these forward thinkers, creating a faux-vending machine in Japan that dispenses tubes that contain information on their vehicles. Have you ever seen anything so cool? Especially with gas prices approaching $5 a gallon these days, maybe Smart Car should try placing a few of these at hot spot malls this summer here in the States. Would probably make a bigger impact than their Smart Car House that supposedly showcases how a “Smart” individual lives. I know this – if I saw one of these, I’d take a tube and definitely look through the information – if a company is willing to engage its potential customers through fresh and exciting ways, I’m willing to give them a few more minutes of my time. One of these beats seeing 100 banners and posters pasted all over the city

For more on this, visit Trends in Japan