Cartier CEO Cyrille Vigneron asks what ‘bold and fearless’ means today

Aug 3 , 2018

CEO Cyrille Vigneron says Cartier goes after customers who are looking for meaning, history and stories.

Vigneron has come up with new storytelling, taken up social responsibilities and adapted new strategies to meet customers’ changing needs

It has been more than two years since Cyrille Vigneron took the helm at Cartier as president and CEO. The Richemont veteran has brought great changes to the heritage maison on various fronts.

As far as storytelling goes, Cartier has featured celebrities in its campaigns for the first time. Jake Gyllenhaal was cast as the face for Santos de Cartier while Annabelle Wallis, for Panthère de Cartier.

Freida Pinto, Naomi Watts, Monica Bellucci, Cyrille Vigneron, Melanie Laurent, Bianca Brandolini and Golshifteh Farahani at Cartier high jewellery gala in Paris

When it comes to the French high jeweller and luxury watchmaker’s social responsibilities, it organises cultural and entrepreneurial campaigns, for example, the Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards in support of female-led start-ups.

As for keeping up with the new generation of customers, Cartier has devised new strategies to become more inclusive.

Cartier showcases its latest high jewellery Coloratura during Paris Haute Couture Week.

I met up with Vigneron to learn about the magnificent heritage of the maison and its way forward as envisioned by the executive.

Despite the many ‘friends of the brand’, Cartier has never cast celebrities in ad campaigns until now. Why is that?

Cartier is not linked to one person for one period of time [as] the [brand] ambassador. It’s too simple to have [celebrities] posing in a photo saying that, this is my choice. We have worked with celebrities such as Monica Bellucci and Sofia Coppola as well as artists. We don’t put their names on products or have them design logos for us. We use them [as inspiration].