For his 29th birthday, Vladyslav Novak chose an unusual gift for himself. Instead of buying a luxury item or an expensive present, the Ukrainian traveller purchased a green Grab driver's jacket.
Vlad, left, bought a jacket printed with the logo of a ride-hailing company popular in Vietnam as a birthday present for himself (Photo: Screenshot).
Novak has lived in Vietnam for about six months and said he was immediately struck by the sight of the bright green jackets worn by Grab drivers across Vietnamese cities.
Speaking to Dantri, he recalled that while walking with friends in Hanoi on his birthday, he came across several jackets being sold by street vendors and decided to buy one.
"I had seen many foreign visitors wearing Grab jackets in Vietnam. Green is also my favourite colour, so I decided to get one. I remember paying about VND 200,000 (approximately USD 7.70) for it," he said.
That evening, Novak posted a video of himself wearing the jacket on social media. The clip quickly attracted more than 100,000 views.
"After that, my friend Rinat and I went back to the shop and bought another jacket for him as well," he said.
Novak said wearing the jacket made him feel more connected to everyday life in Vietnam.
Since then, he and his friend have regularly posted videos featuring the jackets and gradually gained attention online. On several occasions, Vietnamese people have even recognised them in public.
"Once, while we were filming, some Grab drivers recognised us. We invited them to join the video and we all danced together. Many people also asked to take photos with us," Novak said.
He is far from alone. In recent months, social media platforms have seen a growing number of videos showing international tourists wearing Grab jackets while exploring Vietnam.
Clips showing international visitors in Vietnam wearing Grab jackets have attracted large audiences (Photo: Screenshot).
The green jacket is widely sold in many places (Photo: Screenshot).
The trend gained momentum after several foreign visitors shared photos of themselves wearing the iconic green jackets during trips around Vietnamese cities.
Many tourists say the jackets stand out because of their bright colour, loose fit and practicality. They offer protection from the sun and, perhaps more importantly, have become strongly associated with the everyday street life of Vietnam.
As a result, what was once simply a company uniform has evolved into a sought-after souvenir, with many visitors buying the jackets as a keepsake or a distinctive prop for travel photographs.
Some social media users have even joked that a trip to Vietnam is not truly complete until visitors have posed for a photo wearing a Grab jacket.
Many international visitors say wearing a Grab jacket is an experience not to be missed in Vietnam (Photo: Screenshot).
The phenomenon follows other viral trends that have helped promote Vietnam to international audiences, including the "Stand banh mi" and "Vietnam is calling" social media movements.
According to tourism industry figures, Vietnam welcomed more than 10 million international visitors in the first five months of this year, the highest figure ever recorded for the period. Many younger travellers are increasingly seeking authentic local experiences rather than focusing solely on traditional tourist attractions.
