How UBS broke into fashion, wearing Dior

For the first time, the work of all seven of Dior’s creative directors — from Christian Dior himself to Maria Grazia Chiuri — sits under one roof. Styled by Carine Roitfeld and photographed by Brigitte Niedermair, the photography and fashion exhibition highlights eight decades of Dior’s legacy. The brainpower behind the exhibition, which takes place from tomorrow through Sunday in New York City, is UBS House of Craft, a global initiative from investment bank UBS that celebrates excellence in craft across disciplines, from horology to couture. In a bygone market, a bank might have seemed an unlikely match for Dior. But in 2025, when Hermès Birkins and PopMart Labubus rival gold as investments, brand marketing must acknowledge — and embrace — the cross-pollination of industries. In Jing Daily’s C-Suite Visionaries series, UBS CMO John McDonald shares the strategy behind the recent exhibition, insights from a 25-year career spanning Ogilvy and Mastercard, and outlines the finance-to-fashion pipeline. As McDonald tells Jing Daily, craft belongs in banking. Jing Daily: UBS has signaled a strong commitment to culture with House of Craft. How did the exhibition series come to life? John McDonald: Last year, we launched a new global brand positioning and campaign — Banking is our craft. That word craft is central: it signals excellence, quality, dedication, passion, innovation. The next evolution was House of Craft — a way to make the idea tangible for clients and prospects. It’s a real-life experience to celebrate craft, inspire our clients, and rally around the idea by bringing it to life. It also lets us show how our clients’ passions and craft reflect ours — the way we approach their business with care and dedication. JD: What was the experience like, working with fashion legends? JM: Carine and Brigitte have been phenomenal, bringing a lifetime in fashion and honing their craft, which clearly shows in the beautifully put-together exhibition. I’m enormously grateful to work with them and to Dior, who have brought a level of excellence to what we’re doing that’s simply phenomenal. JD: How integral is House of Craft to UBS’ marketing strategy, and how do you balance and integrate initiatives like this within the broader brand ecosystem? JM: It’s part of the mix, right? There’s how you communicate who you are, which is our fundamental brand platform: banking is our craft, investing is our craft, managing wealth is our craft. But we know you can’t just say that to consumers these days. You have to show what it means. So Banking is our craft is a great overall platform. House of Craft is the opportunity to build closer relationships with clients, to connect with their passions, and to manifest it in a more tangible way. JD: What’s the strategic goal for UBS with an activation like House of Craft? Is it about deepening relationships with high-net-worth clients, or expanding the brand’s cultural relevance more broadly? JM: We want to be where our clients are and offer experiences around their passions that deepen relationships and spark new conversations. House of Craft fits that theme — creating deeper, more interesting dialogue. We also want to reach beyond UBS clients to prospects considering wealth management. Craft is a critical differentiator. It reflects the discernment our clients show in life — their watches, travel, fashion, and dining. JD: We’re in an era when tech platforms are driving culture to converge across industries. As a marketer, has this made bringing emotion and creativity into a space like finance easier, or more difficult? JM: First, take UBS. We operate at the epicenter of incredibly emotive and important areas of our clients’ lives — defining legacy, supporting their children’s future. Any client-centric industry enables creative storytelling. That’s always been true; it’s up to the brand to embrace it. We’re at the heart of emotionally important decisions for clients. Second, from a marketer’s view, industry research over the last decade shows how crucial emotion is for creative effectiveness. Across B2B, B2C, and more, there’s greater willingness to embrace creative brand and marketing approaches. Looking back on 25 years of brand building, we have a legacy of powerful emotional work, possible because we take clients seriously. JD: From a global strategy perspective, are there specific regions and topics UBS is targeting and is APAC on the radar? JM: We’re excited to expand both the geographical and thematic footprint of House of Craft. Geographically, we held a couple of small West Coast events last month focused on horology with specific brands. We’ll continue to focus on the U.S., which is an important market. Later this year, we’ll have a House of Craft activation in Asia around gastronomy, a major passion area. When clients and prospects attend these events, they love sharing their passions — whether classic cars, wines, or others. We’ll stay in spaces where we can tell a story and have meaningful dialogue about craft and how it relates to our business. Jing Daily presents C-Suite Visionaries — an exclusive interview series spotlighting the most influential executives at the helm of today’s leading brands in art, fashion, commerce, and culture. Get inside the minds of the decision-makers driving growth, innovation, and cultural relevance at the highest levels.

How UBS broke into fashion, wearing Dior

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Published June 05, 2025

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How UBS broke into fashion, wearing Dior