For Sale on Taobao: Christmas Romance With a CEO
Fans of China’s Taobao have long maintained you can find almost anything on the EBay-like shopping site. They might not be far off.
Not content hocking oatmeal soap and skin-whitening cream, a Taobao cosmetics store is now offering up one of its male staff as a “Christmas boyfriend”–and he’s not just any schlub.
“A bit of a shock for Christmas,” reads the pitch, pasted over a black-and-white glamour shot of Raymond Li, the founder and CEO of cosmetics site Jilituan.com. Interested bidders who click on the “more information” link will find this:
According to the ad, posted five days ago, the date includes free roundtrip airfare and room & board for those who prefer to meet Mr. Liu in Beijing and—the kicker—an iPad.
Many have dismissed the ad as a marketing trick to promote Liu’s cosmetic store, citing the “Christmas gift”—a set of cosmetic products—Mr. Liu promises to give the winning bidder.
“He looks pretty nice, but I definitely won’t even think of bidding on it,” said Wang Kai, a 23-year-old employee of a Shanghai-based educational organization. “They’re doing this to attract
attention to their store. There are way too many stunts like this online these days.
While admitting that the ad has helped drive traffic to his Taobao store, Mr. Liu denied that he’s trying to create media hype. “If I wanted to make myself known, I’d simply put up a post one of the popular entertainment forums, like tianya.com or mop.com,” he said. “I am single, and I also want to make friends in this way.”
Mr. Liu said he’s optimistic about the auction: “Still three days to go, we’ll see what happens,” he said, adding that some bidders have already contacted him on QQ, a popular instant messaging service.
Bidding started at one yuan. The latest bid as of Friday was 5250 yuan, or roughly $790.
While the ad breaks new ground for Taobao, Mr. Liu is not the first person in China to go looking for a temporary relationship for the holidays. Recent years have seen a surge in online advertisements from twenty- and thirty-something Chinese seeking members of the opposite sex to pose as fake boyfriends or girlfriends for the Spring Festival and other big holidays. The aim is typically to hoodwink parents anxious to see their children on the path to starting a family and ward off the possibility of parental matchmaking.
Temporary boyfriends can fetch lucrative fees. Last year, a female student at Beijing University posted a notice (in Chinese) on campus offering 10,000 RMB, or roughly $1500, to rent a boyfriend for a twelve hour performance at her family’s Spring Festival gathering. “9am to 9pm, no sleep over,” the note said.
– Juliet Ye. Follow her on Twitter @wsj_jul
Not content hocking oatmeal soap and skin-whitening cream, a Taobao cosmetics store is now offering up one of its male staff as a “Christmas boyfriend”–and he’s not just any schlub.
- Jialituan.com
“A bit of a shock for Christmas,” reads the pitch, pasted over a black-and-white glamour shot of Raymond Li, the founder and CEO of cosmetics site Jilituan.com. Interested bidders who click on the “more information” link will find this:
- Product Details: 175 cm/70 kg
- Product Country of Origin: Made in China
- Product Description: The product is designed to save beautiful single girls from a lonely and miserable Christmas night. Beating, scolding, kicking and striking–even steaming, stewing, scrambling and braising–are welcomed…without a word of complaint.
- Applied Occasion: the product could be used in meeting parents or sending as a gift. Not appropriate for marriage/procreation.
- Customer Guarantee: 30 days return & exchange included, delivery within 24 hours, will refund triple the original cost if fake
- Delivery Timing: Shipping within 24 hours anywhere in China (doesn’t include overseas as timing doesn’t allow enough time for visa application and customs requirement), delivery prior to Christmas Eve guaranteed.
According to the ad, posted five days ago, the date includes free roundtrip airfare and room & board for those who prefer to meet Mr. Liu in Beijing and—the kicker—an iPad.
Many have dismissed the ad as a marketing trick to promote Liu’s cosmetic store, citing the “Christmas gift”—a set of cosmetic products—Mr. Liu promises to give the winning bidder.
“He looks pretty nice, but I definitely won’t even think of bidding on it,” said Wang Kai, a 23-year-old employee of a Shanghai-based educational organization. “They’re doing this to attract
attention to their store. There are way too many stunts like this online these days.
While admitting that the ad has helped drive traffic to his Taobao store, Mr. Liu denied that he’s trying to create media hype. “If I wanted to make myself known, I’d simply put up a post one of the popular entertainment forums, like tianya.com or mop.com,” he said. “I am single, and I also want to make friends in this way.”
Mr. Liu said he’s optimistic about the auction: “Still three days to go, we’ll see what happens,” he said, adding that some bidders have already contacted him on QQ, a popular instant messaging service.
Bidding started at one yuan. The latest bid as of Friday was 5250 yuan, or roughly $790.
While the ad breaks new ground for Taobao, Mr. Liu is not the first person in China to go looking for a temporary relationship for the holidays. Recent years have seen a surge in online advertisements from twenty- and thirty-something Chinese seeking members of the opposite sex to pose as fake boyfriends or girlfriends for the Spring Festival and other big holidays. The aim is typically to hoodwink parents anxious to see their children on the path to starting a family and ward off the possibility of parental matchmaking.
Temporary boyfriends can fetch lucrative fees. Last year, a female student at Beijing University posted a notice (in Chinese) on campus offering 10,000 RMB, or roughly $1500, to rent a boyfriend for a twelve hour performance at her family’s Spring Festival gathering. “9am to 9pm, no sleep over,” the note said.
– Juliet Ye. Follow her on Twitter @wsj_jul
Comments