The banking group aims at a younger, trendier image through its collaboration with G-Dragon.

K-pop artist G-Dragon (Galaxy Corporation)
K-pop artist G-Dragon (Galaxy Corporation)

Hana Financial Group unveiled K-pop artist G-Dragon as its new face, signaling a bold shift from the brand's senior-centric focus to a younger, more innovative identity.

The group announced in a statement Sunday that the long-celebrated musical icon and member of Big Bang will be representing its brand, describing him as "an icon of innovation and a generational trendsetter."

“With his uniquely creative vision and distinctive music, G-Dragon’s trendy and innovative image aligns perfectly with our goals of creating new value in finance and establishing Hana’s innovative platform under the vision of ‘finance that connects everyone as one (through Hana),” the statement continued.

This collaboration follows G-Dragon’s successful return. In October, the rapper-producer released his single “Power,” marking his comeback after a seven-year hiatus.

Despite the long absence, his influence remains strong. The song's music video amassed 10 million views in 24 hours and topped global charts. In South Korea, the song entered Melon’s Hot 100 chart within 30 minutes, attracting a record-high 83,000 listeners in its first hour. It also claimed the top spot on iTunes and Spotify charts in multiple countries. Further solidifying his status, G-Dragon led performances at year-end music festivals.

Ahead of Sunday's announcement, G-Dragon teased the partnership on his Instagram. At 11:11 p.m. on Saturday, he shared an image of his hand with his index finger pointed to highlight the Hana logo on his nail.

Hana Financial Group's logo on G-Dragon's fingernail (G-Dragon's Instagram)
Hana Financial Group's logo on G-Dragon's fingernail (G-Dragon's Instagram)

G-Dragon’s inclusion marks a shift for Hana, which has typically selected models that appeal to a broad customer base, with an emphasis on older demographics, such as trot singer Lim Young-woong, soccer star Son Heung-min, and TV personality Kang Ho-dong. Targeting new, younger customers, it has also featured younger models, like Ive’s leader Ahn Yu-jin.

“Building on Son Heung-min’s healthy leadership, Lim Young-woong’s warm compassion, Ahn Yu-jin’s bright youthful energy and Kang Ho-dong’s dependable partnership, we’ve now added G-Dragon’s trendsetting and creative persona,” a Hana Financial Group official said. “We will continue to commit ourselves to delivering fresh and innovative brand content to inspire more customers to envision a better future in finance.”

By Choi Ji-won (jwc@heraldcorp.com)