In a bid to possibly clear inventory, combat slumping sales, or both, SoftBank Mobile’s new “iPhone for Everybody Campaign” is offering customers in Japan a free iPhone 3G with a two-year contract through May.

Announced on the Japanese carrier’s website, the promotion offers significant savings for customers interested in upgrading to the iPhone in Japan. The 8GB version of Apple’s popular smartphone is now free with a two-year contract that can be tied to one of three promotional plans including basic, premium, or student. The 16GB iPhone, meanwhile, isn’t paid for in full up front. Rather, it costs 480 yen per month ($4.96 in U.S. dollars) for a total price over the two-year contract of ¥ 11,520 ($119.11), which is still rather cheap compared to its normal price.

This is a new strategy to spread the gospel of the iPhone and other companies could possibly follow suit as the waning economy bites into sales more and more.