Whose bright idea was it to cram 12 people into a really tiny two-seater? Some sadist, you might think. Re-think right now! Squeezing a dozen staff members into a Smart Car was a very smart move for global online travel site, Expedia Australia, and what started out as a team-building exercise soon ended up attracting Sydney's attention in a big way.
Expedia has been having a heap of fun in Sydney lately, with 20 bright yellow Smart Cars buzzing through high-pedestrian areas, making friends and raising awareness of its services. Smartpilots - owners of the car, and specialists in mobile advertising - are impressed with the outcome: “We have never received such a good response for a campaign,” said Australian director, Chris Doefel.
Meanwhile, Expedia Australia continues to spread the word, and the word for all Aussie travellers is good. The company is quite new to Oz, and is quickly building up a powerful reputation. Why? It's fantastically simple, it saves money and it's all there. The choice of destinations, cheap flights, hotels, holiday packages and car hire seems to have no limits.
But anyway, I digress. What bright spark came up with the Smart Car idea? Let’s name her and blame her. It was Expedia Australia Marketing Director, Kristi Barrow. “We thought it would be a fun way to get the staff involved in our latest marketing initiative with our branded Smart Car,” Kristi explained. “It was fun, but needless to say, a tight fit!” Luckily for her, the 12 squashed souls agree.
And did the Smart Car records fall? Sadly, although we Aussies do hold more than our fair share of world records, Smart-Car-Stuffing is not one of them. While they did set an Australian record, the Expedia team have a bit further to go in world terms. Seventeen is the unimaginable number to beat. Let’s hope they equal or better it on their next Smart stunt. Good luck, Expedia!