After more than 26,000 votes, Asian Private Banker‘s readers have made up their minds on the private banks and asset managers with the best red packets in the Year of the Horse.

Here, APB presents the winners of this year’s private banking and asset management poll, along with the messages and meanings represented in the winning designs.

Julius Baer once again won the private banking poll with 54% of the votes. UBS Global Wealth Management (GWM) took second place, while DBS Private Bank placed third.

Among the asset managers, Franklin Templeton came out on top with 52% of the votes. Columbia Threadneedle placed second, and Blackstone and Vontobel tied for third.

Click here to see the other designs in this year’s polls.

Private Banks

Julius Baer

With the theme of “Eternal Bliss from the Double Spirits,” Julius Baer’s red packet design featured the peacock, representing prosperity, beauty, and dignity, and the crane — an emblem of longevity and wisdom. Together, the bank believes they highlight the harmony of wealth and health.

Rendering the set in a Chinese ink-wash style, Julius Baer aims to pay homage to classical artistry while appealing to contemporary tastes for elegance and minimalism with its design.

Through this fusion of tradition and modernity, the bank hopes its red packets signify a prosperous year ahead and the cultivation of enduring relationships.

UBS Global Wealth Management

UBS GWM’s design features galloping horses in gold and crimson hues, representing trailblazers forging ahead with courage and vision, while its movement embodies fiery spirits and an unstoppable drive. When placing the long and square packets together, a complete artwork is formed.

The set features 88 red packets, a number symbolising infinite fortune and prosperity. It is also accompanied by a saddle pouch, the design of which highlights strength, movement, and quiet confidence. The bank hopes its timeless silhouette makes it a staple beyond the festive season.

UBS GWM also prepared a sling pouch in sustainably sourced leather and a handcrafted horse and lucky-know charm for its most valued clients, presented as a limited-edition set in its gift box.

DBS Private Bank

Themed “Dance of Fortune,” DBS Private Bank hopes to highlight prosperity, harmony, and togetherness for the year ahead with its 2026 red packet collection. The design features two cranes gliding amid blooming peonies and is set against a red-and-gold backdrop, symbolising luck and wealth, respectively.

The set is presented in a pull-out box containing 16 red packets and is completed with a mandarin orange carrier, designed for home visits during the Chinese New Year.

The collection is extended by a limited-edition 35cm ornate glass plate featuring the same motif, designed as a centrepiece for traditional Yu Sheng tossing ceremonies. The set also includes six pairs of wooden chopsticks with gold embellishments, which, according to the bank, is for its most valued clients.

Asset Managers

Franklin Templeton

Franklin Templeton’s winning design features a geometric galloping horse, produced in traditional red and gold.

The central composition, subordinate and intimate eye-level perspective, and subtle foreshortening give the sense of the horse exiting the page as it gallops towards and above the viewer, with wisps of wind anchoring the direction of travel.

The geometric division of the horse evokes the beast’s brawn and conveys strength and confidence. Meanwhile, the timbre and gold-hued accents remind one of optimism and wealth.

Columbia Threadneedle

Columbia Threadneedle’s 2026 red packets feature a tapestry of blooming florals accented by butterflies. With this, the asset manager hopes to set a tone of renewal and prosperity.

A flower charm positioned above the circular die-cut motif lies at the heart of the design. When gently pulled, the charm unveils a layered, three-dimensional lantern-like structure, with a blue butterfly in the centre symbolising transformation, prosperity, and the unfolding of new beginnings.

Through this design, Columbia Threadneedle hopes to blend tradition with surprise, making each red packet a memorable keepsake.

Blackstone

Blackstone’s 2026 red packets feature gold and silver koi fish, an emblem of abundance, wealth, and perseverance in Chinese culture.

Centred around the circling koi fish, echoing the traditional circular taiji yin-yang symbol, the packets create the illusion of depth through a cut-out red-and-gold feature that resembles a deep, shimmering pool.

The red packet gift box is complemented by two pairs of golden chopsticks and two chopstick holders shaped like golden fortune cookies.

Vontobel

Vontobel’s 2026 red packets centre on a lion, a traditional motif in Chinese New Year dragon and lion dances, with motifs of lanterns and firecrackers to add colour, festivity and vibrance.

Traditionally, the lion dance symbolises power, wisdom, and good fortune, serving as a ritual to scare away evil spirits and negative energy.

When the red packet is opened, the lion jumps out to form a three-dimensional model, with the Chinese characters for Kung Hei Fat Choy displayed on the string of firecrackers, bringing the traditional Chinese dragon and lion dance to life with a burst of energy.