From “Older Brother” to G-Dragon: Explaining the Big Guys Entering the Concert Game

(Dan Tri) - Recently, many financial giants in Vietnam have suddenly "invaded" the music market, continuously appearing as diamond sponsors for "Brother" concerts or G-Dragon's music nights.

The shows Anh trai vu ngan cong gai (The Brother Who Overcame Thousands of Difficulties) , Anh trai say hi ( The Beautiful Sister Who Walked the Wind) , and Em xinh say hi (The Beautiful Sister Who Walked the Wind) alone have had four major banks “investing capital”. Recently, a bank also confirmed its participation in Mua he ruc sang (The Bright Summer) – a music event gathering 20 artists from two hit TV shows.

In particular, on the evening of June 21, a bank caused a stir when it organized a music festival, inviting G-Dragon - a top K-pop star - to perform at My Dinh Stadium, Hanoi .

The public cannot help but ask: Why are banks so willing to spend? Is this a race for super profits or just a strategy of accepting losses to polish the brand?

Media and music production experts have explained this phenomenon, revealing the strategic perspective behind the spectacular music nights.

Explaining the invasion of banking giants into showbiz

Sharing with Dan Tri reporter, media expert Hong Quang Minh - who has experience organizing events as well as following the music market for many years - said that this phenomenon is not a temporary trend but the inevitable result of the intersection of many factors.

According to Mr. Minh, the first factor to mention is that after the pandemic, Vietnamese people, especially young people, prioritize emotional experiences and community connections over material values.

Concert 5 of "Brother overcoming thousands of obstacles" attracted great attention from the audience.

“In that context, music, especially concerts, becomes the “shortcut” for brands to reach the public's hearts in the fastest and strongest way.

Banking, often seen as a dry and unapproachable industry, is being forced to “soften” its image to increase emotion and friendliness. Participating in concerts is a way to redefine the role of banks in the spiritual life of young people, who are a potential customer group,” Mr. Hong Quang Minh explained.

According to experts, concerts today are invested in as an integrated media campaign. A successful concert can spread strongly on social networks, newspapers, television... far beyond the effectiveness of traditional advertising videos or banners.

Therefore, when realizing the great potential of concerts, many banks did not hesitate to "invest".

Expert Hong Quang Minh added: “Another reason that few people pay attention to is that banks today do not only compete in products but also in brand experiences. Concerts like Anh trai vu ngan cong gai or Anh trai say hi are not simply music shows, but are for customers to feel that "they are part of the bank's vision".

That is when art is no longer outside the financial industry but becomes a strategic tool for banks to tell brand stories at a higher level, with deeper layers."

Expert Nguyen Ngoc Long added that banks are in the “mature” stage, when they are financially and technologically strong. However, they must rejuvenate their brands to catch up with the tastes of Gen Z, who shape trends through TikTok and YouTube.

Concerts are not just events, but emotional touchpoints, a “narrated experience” that spreads from TikTok to YouTube, from newspapers to groups. And moreover, concerts are a new emotional consumption trend among Gen Z - experiences to live, to show off, to connect.

That is the reason why banks choose showbiz, not because of their love for music, but because this is almost the only way to deeply and effectively rejuvenate their brand," said Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Long.

Producer Nguyen Minh Duc - representative of the unit that invited singers such as Son Tung M-TP, My Tam to perform - also affirmed that concerts are an opportunity to reach a large customer base. Banks take advantage of the image of artists as representatives, combining financial services such as opening cards and spending to give away tickets.

Mr. Minh Duc said: “For example, at the concert Anh trai vu ngan cong gai, students can open an account, turn on some features and own tickets to the concert. If they open an account with a spending visa, they will be given tickets with better seats. Young people today are willing to spend, so banks can access files of young, potential customers.”

G-Dragon went all out with Vietnamese fans despite the pouring rain in Hanoi during the June 21 concert (Photo: Instagram).

Concert - race for super profits or accept losses?

Organizing a high-quality concert is not cheap, with costs for stage, sound, lighting and artist A’s salary, which can be up to tens of billions of dong. So does the bank make a profit or just “take a loss” for promotion?

Producer Nguyen Minh Duc affirmed that shows sponsored by banks do not lose money, but even make big profits.

“When selling tickets, they give agents a maximum discount of 15%, but new customers have to open cards and deposit savings, helping the stock price increase. The bank always makes a net profit,” he said.

Talking to Dan Tri reporter about this issue, expert Hong Quang Minh said that with a high-class concert, if only calculated on accounting papers, many banks are willing to "suffer losses" financially but "gain" big profits in terms of communication, brand positioning and especially user data.

According to Mr. Minh, from a martech (marketing and technology) perspective, concerts are now a "gold mine" of data.

Analyst: “Through the show, banks collect information on customer behavior, consumption habits, brand reactions, service experiences (for example, priority tickets for customers with accounts, payment privileges via apps, etc.). That means even though they don’t collect much ticket money, they collect huge amounts of information, a form of extremely valuable soft assets in the digital age.”

Sharing the same view, communications expert Nguyen Ngoc Long also said that if viewed purely on the basis of communications and data, this is not a game of taking a loss, but a very clear profit problem, the only difference is that the profit depends on depth, brand, and long-term strategy.

“Suppose a banking concert costs 20 billion VND, but in return it receives 10 million discussions on social networks, meaning the cost for each discussion is only about 2,000 VND - a very cheap price compared to the current paid media market.

There were 30,000 people attending the concert, equivalent to 30,000 potential customers who actually spent time - spent emotions - spent money (if any) to interact directly with the brand. The cost is 667,000 VND/customer - higher than normal digital advertising, but in return, the connection, emotions and especially the ability to convert are much higher", Mr. Long cited analysis.

Experts say that investing in concerts by big banks helps them "profit" in terms of communication and branding.

However, the concert game has its benefits but also its risks. Expert Hong Quang Minh believes that if a concert is too focused on “performance PR”, the art is loose, the artist is not reputable enough or does not touch real emotions, it will be counterproductive.

Mr. Minh emphasized that today's public is not "led by the nose" by flashy products, they can easily recognize which shows have depth and which shows are "made up of money for noise". And then, instead of scoring points, banks can be seen as "polishing their brand in a soulless way", which is very dangerous in an era where "trust is a valuable asset".

The expert said: “In addition, I think we also need to mention the media risk factor, because the concert is associated with the artist, and the artist is not under the absolute control of the bank. If the artist is involved in a scandal, if public opinion is dissatisfied with the message conveyed by the show, the bank can be affected.

That's why big brands often require very tight control over content and images, which sometimes leads to the loss of the naturalness and artistry of the concert."

Mr. Hong Quang Minh further analyzed that, in terms of brand communication and data exploitation, the bank's linking of concerts with card upgrade programs or payment privileges is a methodical strategy.

G-Dragon's passionate performance in the rain at My Dinh Stadium (Hanoi) concluded the emotional "K-Star Spark in Vietnam - Mega Concert 2025" (Photo: Nate).

This not only creates a sense of scarcity, but also ties the art experience to the financial services ecosystem. Many banks around the world also apply this form: Tickets are only available to customers in high categories or who have reached a certain transaction level.

Each ticket becomes a "privilege voucher", reinforcing the mentality that "if you want to see a great show, you must be a high-class customer".

This strategy benefits three parties: Banks promote card opening, spending, and application use; organizers have large funding sources; audiences feel they “deserve” the experience. This is the factor that creates the spread of concerts like Anh Trai or G-Dragon , turning ticket hunting and card opening into a lifestyle.

However, according to experts, this model also has risks. When tickets are not sold publicly, it is difficult to control the experience. If unused, privilege tickets can easily be resold at low prices, creating a feeling of "unsaleability" even though the show actually meets internal communication targets.

The case of the concert inviting G-Dragon is a breakthrough in brand positioning. However, due to the high cost and high expectations, ticket distribution through the benefits system needs to be more delicate. If not well controlled, just a few images of cheap tickets or empty seats can create a negative effect, making the public misunderstand the quality of the event.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giai-tri/tu-anh-trai-den-g-dragon-ly-giai-cac-ong-lon-do-bo-cuoc-choi-concert-20250624095058092.htm