Yesterday, a giant Amazon locker appeared on Justin Herman Plaza across from the Ferry Building, prompting tech blogs and even the Wall Street Journal to have an awkward "what's in the box?!" moment.
Amazon lockers, if you're unfamiliar, are pickup points for Amazon orders that spare customers the inconvenience of being home when a package arrives or even having to interact with another human being. The Verge was on the scene, inspecting the locker from all angles, before determining that it was, in fact, nearly identical to any of the other eight Amazon lockers sprinkled around San Francisco. Except this one is about the size of two shipping containers and not tucked away in a Radio Shack or a parking garage somewhere.
Smelling a publicity stunt, the Wall Street Journal talked to an Amazon worker on the scene who explained the company was planning an event for Friday, but wouldn't reveal anything else. “I can be vague, but I am not going to lie to you,” the worker told WSJ. “I can’t tell you any more.” Similarly, representatives from the Rec and Parks Department had no comment on the big orange thing that just appeared on the plaza.
Earlier this year, Amazon pulled a similar stunt, but with a giant shipping box that contained a Nissan. According to a press release that landed in the SFist inbox Friday morning, Nissan is also the subject of today's marketing effort: hidden behind the largest door of the locker is a free car that will go to one lucky winner who tweets or comments with the proper hashtag. So, if you're in the market for a new car and aren't too precious with your social media presence, you'll probably have no trouble contributing to this trending topic.
