Here is a pretty smart vending machine
Filed under: Etc., SMART, Green Daily, Japan

When the smart brand was initially launched in Europe, the vehicles were featured in some very unusual manners. For instance, towers of smart fortwo cars were placed inside glass containers, which looked sort of like the spinning display stands for watches. These displays made sense considering the idea for the vehicle originally came from Swatch. Now, though, it looks as if smart's parents, Daimler, have continued the innovative marketing approach with a smart vending machine. As cool as it would be if the vending machine actually offered little cars, it instead dispenses brochures for both the smart coupe and cabriolet.
From what we can tell, this vending machine is from Japan, which isn't surprising considering how gadget obsessed young people in that country tend to be. We have seen something similar to this in American Mini dealerships, though those displays don't actually feature a real car inside the glass container.
[Source: PlaySmart.jp via Gizmodo]













Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-18-2008 @ 9:49AM
BlackbirdHighway said...
Anybody have change? I need quarters, lots of them!
Ha, ha, it's creative, at least.
Reply
6-18-2008 @ 10:10AM
GoodCheer said...
On a quick search I couldn't dig it up, but I seem to recall seeing Hummers in giant cardboard boxes outside Toys-R-Us a-la Tonka.
Similar idea.
Reply
6-18-2008 @ 10:45AM
BLBdriver said...
LOL! It ate my quarters and the car got stuck in the dispenser...!
Reply
6-18-2008 @ 11:09AM
BlackbirdHighway said...
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/01/rhd-hummer-h3-arrives-in-uk-dont-open-until-christmas/
Reply
6-18-2008 @ 5:08PM
don said...
Reminds me of a microwave. =)
Reply
6-18-2008 @ 5:50PM
Joseph said...
Yeah, MINI dealerships also have a vending machine where it hands out brochures. But it's just a regular vending machine. This isn't surprising to see in Japan since I've heard that they have very strange vending machines there anyways. (like vending machiens that sell umbrellas and that sort)
When I first saw this, I thought the vending machine dispensed little diecast models of the Smart car. That would be a million times cooler.
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