Hana Financial Group said its brand content series “Hana Universe,” released to mark the group’s 20th anniversary, has surpassed 23 million cumulative views on YouTube. The big-budget project, which brings together top names from film, sports and music, is drawing attention as a new approach to brand marketing in the financial sector.
According to the financial industry on Monday, the main “Hana Universe” video posted April 10 on Hana Financial’s official YouTube channel, HanaTV, had nearly 13 million views as of 2 p.m. that day (12.96 million). Combined with the teaser and trailer (7.62 million), brand film (2.40 million) and production presentation (620,000), related videos totaled 23.60 million views. Short-form clips are also drawing hundreds of thousands of views each.
“Hana Universe” departs from a standard ad format, presenting a nine-minute short film set inside an airplane cabin and built around director Ha Jung-woo’s comedic style. It features the group’s advertising models, including singer G-Dragon and Lim Young-woong, along with soccer player Son Heung-min, TV personality Kang Ho-dong and Ahn Yu-jin of IVE. Through a series of episodes, the film highlights key products and services, including the Hana Nara Sarang Card, Hana Gold Trust, Hana Pension Doctor, Hana The Next and Travelog.
With a cast rarely seen in financial advertising and a movie-style storyline, the video spread quickly across online communities and social media after its release. Re-edited versions, including YouTube Shorts, have helped sustain word-of-mouth interest.
Industry watchers say Hana Financial is shifting away from TV-centered advertising and putting more emphasis on digital content to build brand familiarity. Last year, it tested the mix of entertainment-style content and star marketing through “Hanappunin Mureupak Baksa,” hosted by Kang and featuring G-Dragon and Son.
“Financial advertising used to focus on conveying trust and stability, but it is evolving into a way for people to experience brands through entertainment and buzz,” a financial industry official said. “After this success, competition in financial-sector content marketing is likely to intensify.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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