Hana Bank’s “Money Dream” Campaign for Recycling Unfit Banknotes

A Korean bank’s unique campaign has recently become the talk of the town.

Hana Bank (CEO, Lee Seung-yeul), one of Korea’s four major banks, is introducing ‘Money Dream’ campaign to boost the bank’s digital platform and give “wealth energy” to customers by providing eco-friendly pillows made with unfit banknotes.

Many Koreans believe that having a bank-made item at home can bring wealth to the household that owns it. Hana Bank played on this superstition and created a pillow called ‘Money Dream’ which can be read in Korean as ‘giving money’. Made with recycled unfit banknotes, The ‘Money Dream’ pillows have become popular lucky draw gifts to Hana bank’s customers.

The ‘Money Dream’ campaign was designed as a reaction to the serious decrease in the recycling rate of banknote waste in Korea. The pile of banknote waste, if it can be created, would be seven times taller than Mt. Everest. Hana Bank created pillow fillings by combining unfit banknotes with EPP, an eco-friendly material. Moreover, pillowcases and packages are also made of recyclable materials, making ‘Money Dream’ a 100% environment-friendly gift. The product not only reaches its environmental aims, but also fulfills safety requirements as it meets safety standards for children’s use

Hana Bank expects ‘Money Dream’ campaign to provide customers with the opportunity to feel the “wealth energy” stuffed in their pillows while protecting the environment.

“We are planning to expand ‘Money Dream’ campaign and aiming to recycle a total of 20 tons (142.4 billion KRW) of unfit banknotes by the end of 2023,” said Kim So-jung, the deputy president of the bank. “We also hope that this campaign will dramatically increase the recycling rate of banknote waste.”

“It is a pleasure to imagine sleeping with money as a pillow,” said Lee Seong-woong, the department leader who planned the campaign. “I hope this campaign brings fortune to many customers who wish gain more wealth.”

“‘Money Dream’ pillow is the most intuitively eco-friendly merchandise that a bank can create,” Said Park Jun-seok, the team leader who planned ‘Money Dream’ items. “It’s literally about bank protecting our planet with money.”