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UPS Invites Regifting With Playful Web Site

UPS regifter Regifting--the practice of pawning off unwanted gifts on unsuspecting friends and family, which entered the lexicon nearly 14 years ago--is getting serious play in a new tongue-in-cheek Web site from UPS.

Michael French, a spokesperson for the brand, tells Marketing Daily that the effort is an attempt to find the cutting edge: "UPS delivers packages, and we want people to know we can deliver fun in cyberspace." The company hopes the idea goes viral to promote general brand awareness as well as UPS' desire to promote sustainability.

Banner ads on ups.com and on Facebook will publicize UPSRegifter.com, which makes it possible to send virtual regifts to friends, family and co-workers in an eco-friendly, no-wrapping-paper-required way.

Regifters can either upload a photo of their unwanted gift or choose one from the UPS Regifter gallery. A video styled after 1950s-era black-and-white instructional films is available to explain the concept of regifting to the uninitiated.

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A recipient of a virtual regift item will receive an e-mail with a link to claim the regift. Then the regiftee can join in by regifting the item they received to someone else or by uploading a photo of a new item to regift. UPSRegifter.com also offers a downloadable regifting Facebook application.

UPS partnered with integrated marketing agency T3 to design and develop the site.

The term "regifting" debuted on the Jan. 19, 1995 episode of "Seinfeld."

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