Flirty and ‘queer’: New car sales approach sweeps China

What happened A new wave of car sales content is going viral on social commerce platform Xiaohongshu (also known as RedNote), and it’s a far cry from the traditional formality of dealerships. Salespeople, particularly men, are ditching stiff showroom professionalism for what they’ve coined as the “not-so-straight” aesthetic. Think slouched mirror selfies, dancing in front of cars, coquettish glances, and tongue-in-cheek captions like: “I can be bottom, but my sales can’t be bottom.” Female reps are also putting their own spin on the trend, shape-shifting between dominant, sweet, and androgynous personas and often addressing potential customers as “sisters” or “sisters-in-law,” echoing Xiaohongshu’s signature girlhood-coded lingo. Although the trend hasn’t yet coalesced into its own hashtag, more car salespeople are hopping on the trend under the broader “car salespeople” (汽车销售) tag in the hope of boosting both their visibility and their sales. The Jing Take This down-to-earth, uber-relatable approach reflects a broader shift in who car brands are talking to — and how they’re talking to them. Women, for example, are rapidly emerging as key decision-makers in China’s car market. According to automobile info platform Yiche, women accounted for nearly 40% of new car purchases in 2023, a number set to grow as female financial independence rises and traditional life timelines shift. Brands like Great Wall Motor learned this the hard way — its overly feminised ORA Ballet Cat and Lightning Cat flopped, with sales dropping 40% in 2024, suggesting that “femwashing” doesn’t resonate with today’s female buyers. Instead, women are seeking functionality, tech-forward features, and a tone that acknowledges — rather than caricatures — their tastes. According to digital agency Grey’s China division, analysts predict that by 2035, women could become the majority of car buyers in the country, driven by increasing disposable income, delayed marriage and childbearing, and rapid urban growth heightening demand. With digital-native consumers turning to platforms like Xiaohongshu for peer-driven discovery, sales reps embracing humor, identity play, and social fluency are gaining traction — and, more importantly, conversions. Beyond the trend: What this means for marketing Though still on the fringes of Xiaohongshu’s mainstream culture, this quirky sales trend underscores how humor and meme culture are evolving into effective marketing tools, especially among the app’s younger, digitally fluent users. Relatability and entertainment are increasingly eclipsing high-gloss professionalism when it comes to connecting with Gen Z: a shift made especially clear in the viral traction of Fan Beauty Diary’s unintentional yet wildly effective soft-sell moment last week. But, while many interpret it as wry humor designed to hook Gen Z, it also sparks debate about the role of identity play in selling cars in today’s Chinese auto market. Is it sharp marketing or just another fleeting internet fad? As brands walk this line, the audience’s read on authenticity may be the ultimate litmus test. The Jing Take reports on a piece of the leading news and presents our editorial team’s analysis of the key implications for the luxury industry. In the recurring column, we analyze everything from product drops and mergers to heated debate sprouting on Chinese social media.

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Flirty and ‘queer’: New car sales approach sweeps China