As South Florida and Miami prepare for Art Basel Miami Beach in December, venues in Miami are preparing for works of art by thousands of artists and an influx of tens of thousands of visitors. Many advertising and brand managers are also preparing for the event. If you are marketing your brand at Art Basel Miami Beach, you could do much worse than taking a page out of the Union Bank of Switzerland's marketing playbook.

UBS and Art Basel Miami Beach

Swiss banking giant UBS identified Art Basel in Europe as a strategic partner in 1994, and has been a partner to Art Basel Miami Beach since its very first year in 2002. In the twelve years since, Art Basel Miami Beach has become one of the most significant events in art, and UBS has stayed with it, serving as the lead partner.

This year UBS stepped it up again, further strengthening their association with Art Basel Miami Beach, the arts and the Miami community. One of the major events that UBS has partnered with Arts for Learning of Miami in support of the “ArtWorks,” program. “Artworks” is a pilot program of paid internships in the arts for students attending high school in neighborhoods that surround Miami’s Wynwood Arts District. The program was created to expose young people to the art-making process, give them employment, and help them develop an appreciation for the arts.

ArtWorks itself is becoming an integral part of Art Basel Miami Beach. Students who participated in the program will take part in a workshop hosted by UBS and inspired by Kiki Smith’s Chorus, which is also part of the UBS Art Collection. Students will have the opportunity to learned the stained glass making process, and make their own works of art.

This growing association and continued bonding with Art Basel Miami Beach further solidifies the branding of UBS with the community and the arts.