ShopBack transforms iconic Chinese poems into travel buzz in new campaign

Online cashback portal ShopBack has teamed up with Hong Kong based travel booking platform HopeGoo to launch a new campaign, offering cashback incentives to customers when booking hotels, flights, and train tickets.

Central to the promotion is an exclusive offer for Hong Kong shoppers: Earn up to 20% cash rebate when booking on HopeGoo via the ShopBack app. Designed to highlight simplicity, the campaign revolves around a streamlined “Three-step journey”: open the ShopBack app, navigate to the HopeGoo website within the platform, and complete a travel purchase with up to 20% cashback credited instantly.

The concept draws clever inspiration from the ancient Chinese idiom “seven steps to verse” (七步成詩), a reference to Cao Zhi’s legendary ability to compose a poem in seven paces. Playing on this, ShopBack has coined the tagline: “Three steps to travel (三步去旅行) - ancient poets needed seven steps to create; modern travellers only need three for 20% rebate.”

In a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, a spokesperson from ShopBack said the campaign aims to reinforce the brand’s “real cashback” proposition by showcasing how users can enjoy genuine cash rewards through travel bookings with HopeGoo, while strengthening joint brand awareness. "We aim to highlight the partnership synergy between ShopBack and HopeGoo, demonstrating how together we make travel planning smarter, easier, and more rewarding."

Both brands share the goal of empowering consumers to make smarter travel choices, according to the spokesperson. "As HopeGoo expands into new markets, ShopBack plays a key role in helping them enhance competitiveness and performance efficiently through our data-driven ecosystem. It’s a partnership that delivers both brand impact and measurable business growth.”



Developed in collaboration with creative and KOL agency BYFA Consultancy, the campaign runs through November to align with year-end travel planning. The push includes a takeover of Tsim Sha Tsui East MTR station, featuring out-of-home (OOH) ads that playfully reimagine classic Chinese poetry—such as “Jiang Jin Hotel” (a twist on Li Bai’s “Qiang Jin Jiu”), “Silent Night Travel” (a twist on Li Bai’s “Jing Ye Si”), “Smartness” (a twist on Du Mu’s “Qingming”), and “Flying to Peach Blossom Land” (a twist on Tao Yuanming’s “Tao Hua Yuan Ji”).

To foster social engagement and resonance, the brand has also enlisted KOLs to perform these parodied poems on-site at the MTR station, bringing the poems to life through dynamic, shareable content.

In addition, ShopBack has focused on extending the campaign narrative beyond media exposure. “We leveraged our owned ecosystem and data-driven placements to reinforce the campaign’s key message across digital and offline touchpoints, ensuring that consumers can experience the brand story at every stage of their journey," said the spokesperson. 

Beyond pure sales conversion, the return on investment (ROI) is defined by both measurable transactions and intangible brand impact. "We looked at orders and attributed conversions, but equally valued the uplift in traffic, social buzz, and brand awareness—as we aimed to help consumers discover smarter, more rewarding travel choices through HopeGoo."

“Hong Kong shoppers are smart—they don’t just look for deals, they look for value," said Arthur Wan, general manager, ShopBack Hong Kong and Taiwan. "At ShopBack, we believe in real cashback, meaning users receive actual money, not points or credits. It’s simple, transparent, and rewarding. Through this campaign with HopeGoo, we wanted to celebrate local culture while reminding people that earning cashback can be both meaningful and joyful—because good poetry should move people, and good cashback should too."

“HopeGoo connects travellers to seamless travel options worldwide. Partnering with ShopBack elevates that experience—offering travellers not just convenience but tangible savings they can feel instantly. Three easy steps make travel planning as rewarding as the journey itself,” said Iris Li, affiliate and partnerships manager, HopeGoo.

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Beyond its collaboration with HopeGoo, ShopBack has partnered with a diverse range of merchants to help users maximise savings on daily purchases, with participating brands including foodpanda, Trip.com, Agoda, Klook, iHerb, amongst others.

Recently, ShopBack has launched ShopBack Pay in HK with Octopus as payment method, enabling consumers to earn and redeem real Cashback in-store at the point of purchase. As part of the launch, Octopus has been added as a payment option within ShopBack Pay, alongside Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay and Google Pay, making it easier for consumers to spend locally.

ShopBack Pay aims to drive online-to-offline (O2O) engagement, enabling Hong Kong's offline retailers to capture foot traffic as shoppers look for ways to support local amidst rising international spending. It also provides brick-and-mortar merchants with digital touchpoints to engage customers via a mobile platform, without the need to build their own apps.

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