Jiepang + Starbucks China + LBS + NFC = Free Christmas Coffee

The Jiepang NFC tag that's now in Starbucks stores in Shanghai, and Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.

Jiepang, the Chinese location-based service (LBS) social network, is once again pioneering the use of NFC chips to allow some smartphone users to check-in – this time to Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) for a special Christmas promotion.

But the marketing campaign is not limited to using NFC – which is only present in a few phones, such as some newer Nokias, and the Nexus S – so that anyone in the Shanghai, and neighboring Jiangsu, and Zhejiang regions gets to play along. Basically, once Starbucks has seen 20,000 Jiepang app check-ins – with Christmas-y virtual badges given to users – at its stores in those areas, it’ll unlock a reward of a free size upgrade on any coffee. It started yesterday, and runs to Christmas day.

For those few who have an NFC enabled phone, look out for the NFC tag that’s pictured up top – placing your phone next to that will automate the entire check-in process and cause bystanders in Starbucks to call out “Aloha, Captain Future!” and all women in the vicinity will want to birth your children.

The last time Jiepang teamed up with a company for such a geeky campaign, it was with Nokia (HEL:NOK1V; NYSE:NOK) in order to promote a trio of new Symbian phones. This time, it’s operating in different areas of the country, and giving Jiepang mobile app users a nice little reward for their check-ins.

In a press statement, Jiepang’s CEO, David Liu, said:

We are passionate about using the newest mobile technologies, such as NFC, to make an amazing experience of sharing real life.

We’re also big fans of NFC and LBS here at Penn-Olson, so I’ll go check it out with my Nexus S next time I drop in.