Diana Farah

Japanese company Cheer Drive is paying automobile drivers to turn their vehicles into an itasha, or a car decorated with image stickers from anime and manga series.

Generally, people in Japan tend to pay for custom stickers to decorate their cars with. However, Cheer Drive flips the script in that it sends out the stickers to applicant drivers and pays them for driving around with them on.

The focus is mainly on otaku media, or anything related to anime and manga.

Cheer Drive is currently looking for applicants who will make their car a ‘BanG Dream!’ itasha, in celebration of the series’ upcoming episode, the newest theatrical anime in the franchise.

Those interested in applying can do so by downloading the Cheer Drive app, which gives them access to a list of currently recruiting campaigns. Afterwards, applicants will receive three stickers in the mail, one for each side of their car, and one for the back window. Drivers are expected to put them on, drive around, and when the campaign period is up, they get paid.

The stickers are easy to apply and to take off too as to not ruin vehicles, and the back sticker is translucent in order to not block the driver’s rear view.

Payment is based on distance driven during the campaign period, with most so far lasting a month and paying 7 yen (approximately US $6.7 cents) per kilometer.

For confirmation, all drivers have to do is send Cheer Drive photos of the stickers in place on their cars, as well as photos of them starting and ending odometer readings.