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The SB Holden Barina won't be remembered as one of the Red Lion's classic models, but this video sure adds a chunk of appeal.
In this day and age of buying and selling you really have to stand out above the crowd to get noticed.
So when Sydney-based digital guru David Johns wanted to sell his 1999 Holden Barina, he naturally created a website and professional video. As you do.
Called Buy My Barina, the hilarious clip begins and looks very much like a professional car commercial, until the subtitles begin and the car comes into view.
“Only one careful owner,” it reads. “10 months rego, always garaged.”
The car even has matching seats. Bonus.
The video then zooms in on as a well-dressed Mr Johns as he revs his car up in a scene resembling something out of a luxury car ad.
“Luxury and performance refined,” it goes on before finishing “It could be yours” as Mr Johns holds the keys up inviting viewers to tweet him an offer.
But it doesn’t stop there. The website is equally as amusing.
“Designed in Germany, built in Spain, sold to you in Australia,” it reads.
“The ample storage means that you can even fit the vehicles’s own exhaust should the need arise.”
And while it may sound like a joke or clever marketing ploy, Mr Johns told news.com.au it was anything but.
“I just wanted to sell my car,” he said. “I wanted it to get noticed.”
“There’s so much competition for selling used cars I wanted to do something clever.”
It wasn’t until he mentioned he was selling his unsellable Barina to his Digital Chimney colleagues that the idea for the video and website was born.
“I work with a group of great guys and when I mentioned I wanted to sell my car, this idea (video) came up,” the digital director said.
He added working with colleagues who could produce this quickly was a definite advantage, but also showed what anyone could do when it came to thinking outside the box.
And while shooting the video and creating the website probably cost five times what the car is worth, Mr Johns said it remained a bit of fun.
“Why would I spend $8000 doing work to sell a car worth $1-2000? he said.
“Honestly because I had the time and I just wanted to show off my skills.”
As for sale bites, he admits he has had some genuine ones including a $1000 offer and another punter offering him $20 and to write him a song.
“I haven’t decided what to do yet,” he admitted.
Either way, his #buymybarina hashtag has generated stacks of responses and the video has already amassed more than 300,000 views since being uploaded on Sunday.
Colleague Lynley Myers also assures viewers the ad is the real deal.
“My hilarious colleague has made the most epic ad for his old and probably unsellable car!!,” she posted.
“He is actually, legitimately trying to sell it so please share #buymybarina.”
Meanwhile the response on Twitter has ranged from amused to bemused and even complimentary.
