Haier Refurbishes 30-Year-Old Washing Machine After Spotting It on Social Media, Republishes 1997 Advertisement
Haier retrieved a 30-year-old washing machine spotted on social media, refurbished it at its Qingdao factory, and republished a 1997 advertisement alongside the restored unit.
Haier (海尔) Kitchen Appliances retrieved a 30-year-old Haier Xiaohaibeishawasher (小海贝洗衣机) from a blogger's social media post and transported it to the company's Qingdao factory for comprehensive refurbishment. On September 18, 2026, the brand shared footage of the restored machine on social platforms alongside a republished 1997 advertisement, labelling the unit with a tag reading "Haier Xiaohaibeishawasher 30 Years."
The campaign generated nostalgia-driven engagement, with commenters requesting that the brand accept their own old Haier appliances for similar treatment. Haier indicated a willingness to remanufacture other legacy models, suggesting the one-off refurbishment could become a broader service initiative.
The move reframes product longevity as a brand asset rather than a liability. By surfacing a consumer's decades-old machine through social listening and publicly restoring it, Haier turns the durability of its older hardware into a present-day story — one that speaks to quality heritage without requiring a new product launch. The appetite in the comments for a formalised remanufacturing programme points to latent consumer demand that the brand has now publicly acknowledged.
