- Bank of Hope launched a K-pop culture campaign built around its sponsorship of "BTS THE CITY ARIRANG NEW YORK," anchored by a Times Square digital billboard and a Weverse Stamp Rally checkpoint at its Manhattan branch.
- Nine Bank of Hope branches across New York and New Jersey are handing out scratch cards for co-branded gifts (July 29–31), alongside an iPad sweepstakes running July 27 through August 3, 2026.
- The bank is donating $1 per Stamp Rally participant to its Hope Delivered financial literacy program and offering co-branded items to customers who open new deposit accounts through August 9.
- BTS, HYBE, and BIGHIT MUSIC do not administer or endorse the sweepstakes itself; Bank of Hope is the sole sponsor behind the branded activation.
Bank of Hope, the Los Angeles-based subsidiary of Hope Bancorp (NASDAQ: HOPE), has rolled out a K-pop-inspired marketing campaign centered on its sponsorship of “BTS THE CITY ARIRANG NEW YORK.”
The push, announced July 27, follows the bank’s initial sponsorship reveal on July 20 and is designed to connect with customers through music, entertainment, and Korean community experiences.
The campaign’s centerpiece is a digital billboard in Times Square, paired with a Weverse Stamp Rally experience that includes the bank’s Manhattan flagship as an official checkpoint alongside landmarks like MetLife Stadium and the Korean Cultural Center. Fans who scan a QR code at the branch get a themed photo zone and a scratch card for a shot at an exclusive co-branded gift.
From July 29 through 31, all nine Bank of Hope branches in New York and New Jersey are distributing scratch cards while supplies last, and a sweepstakes running through August 3 offers a chance to win an iPad.
Through its Hope Delivered program, the bank is donating $1 per Stamp Rally participant to support financial literacy efforts, and new customers opening deposit accounts through August 9 can claim a co-branded item.
“Relationships are strengthened through interests and experiences that inspire people,” said Kevin Kim, Bank of Hope’s Chairman and CEO, framing the campaign as a way to reach diverse audiences while staying rooted in the bank’s community values.
Notably, the promotion’s official rules clarify that BTS, HYBE, and BIGHIT MUSIC neither administer nor endorse the sweepstakes. Bank of Hope is sponsoring the branded fan event itself, not running a direct artist endorsement in the traditional sense.
The activation lands during a massive year for BTS. Their fifth studio album, ARIRANG, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in March 2026, and the group is currently on its record-breaking ARIRANG World Tour, which recently saw them team up with Nike on tour merch and a customization experience. BTS also headlined the first-ever FIFA World Cup Halftime Show this year.
Takeaways
This isn’t your typical celebrity-brand collab. Unlike BTS’s product-driven deals with Nike or Oreo, Bank of Hope is sponsoring a BTS-branded fan event rather than partnering directly with the group, a distinction spelled out in the fine print but easy for fans to miss.
This is also a savvy way for a regional bank to turn foot traffic into a cultural moment, tying a Weverse stamp rally to real financial literacy dollars through Hope Delivered.
Could this playbook, sponsoring a K-pop fan experience instead of signing artists directly, become a template for other regional banks chasing younger, multicultural customers? Does an event sponsorship like this deliver the same brand lift as a formal BTS endorsement, given the “does not endorse” disclaimer in the fine print?
