with 카카오뱅크: The story behind this trend in Social Media today
08-10-2026
The phrase “MMA2026 with 카카오뱅크” is spreading because KakaoBank is the title sponsor of this year’s Melon Music Awards, and fans are using the exact campaign wording to join a linked ticket draw.MMA is the annual awards show run by Melon, Kakao Entertainment’s music platform, since 2005. The 2026 edition is the first to run over two days, November 14–15, at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, under the theme “Connect” and the slogan “K-POP CONNECT: The New Pulse.” Early announced performers include PLAVE, RIIZE, NCT WISH, ALPHA DRIVE ONE, and LNGSHOT. A new Global TOP 10 category tied to a Global-K chart was also added.In early September, KakaoBank launched a partner product called a one-month installment savings (한달적금) tied to the awards. Customers can deposit once a day, from 100 won to 30,000 won, for up to 31 days. Payment milestones earn raffle entries for MMA tickets: one entry after the first deposit, more at later stages, and 100 entries on the 31st successful deposit, for a maximum of 206 entries if every payment is completed. KakaoBank then draws 1,000 winners from applicants, each receiving one ticket, with individual notices planned for November 5. Only one account per customer was allowed during the sales window. The product visualizes progress with the Kakao Friends character Chun-sik climbing floors.On social media today, especially among K-pop fans, the posts are mostly mutual-help exchanges rather than organic discussion of the bank. Users paste the required phrase “MMA2026 with 카카오뱅크,” attach their personal campaign link, and ask others to click, mention, or complete the same step in return. The goal is to finish the participation actions that feed the ticket lottery. The volume of near-identical posts is what turned the sponsor line into a visible trend.