Tumi, a manufacturer of high-end suitcases and travel bags,
approached Industrial Color for a series of promotional videos for their Alpha Bravo backpack series.
The client was primarily looking for a solution to highlight and showcase the versatility of their products,
with a focus on the detachable sections each has to offer, such as the Alpha Bravo Cadet pictured below:

Tumi Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1975 by Charlie Clifford after a stint in the Peace Corps in Peru.
The company is named after a Peruvian ceremonial knife, and their products are known for their black-on-black ballistic nylon.

Tumi believes in five core values, namely:

Superior Quality
Design Excellence
Technical Innovation
Functional Superiority
World Class Customer Service

As a designer, I’m naturally drawn to the balance of form and functionality of Tumi products. A little research
into travel bags revealed the reputation of Tumi being uncompromising when it comes to product quality.

This animated version of the Tumi logo is used throughout the campaign.
It embodies the sleek nature of Tumi’s products without being excessively flashy.

The Alpha Bravo series are designed to take a beating while maintaining its ultra-functionality.
The bag designs share similarities with military field packs and even the product name is inspired by military call signs.

While the products are marketed towards people of all ages and genders who prioritize utility over flashy aesthetics,
the colors, durability and design might appeal the most to young to middle-aged adult men
who travel often or actively engage in outdoor activities such as camping.

Industrial Color came up with a pitch based on stop motion and knolling.
Knolling is simply defined as the process of arranging related objects in parallel or 90-degree angles as a method of organization.
A static camera is set up so it has a top down perspective of a well-lit studio environment,
and each Tumi product is featured alongside equipment and belongings that fits a personality profile.

The Idea is to use stop motion by utilizing still images of each product packing up all of the objects in their individual scenes.
This solution is a good way to show how well-designed each bag is by being able to fit a seemingly impossible number of items of varying sizes.
With the hero product in the center, each spot highlights the detachable section of each product by utilizing camera zooms.

Each of the four Alpha Bravo products are laid out alongside a selection of personal equipment, with each product having their own profile.
They are spaced out evenly and tastefully (from a designer’s perspective), respecting the knolling rules of aligning objects in a 90-degree angle.
These equipment include tech gadgets, navigation equipment, gloves, sneakers, thermal flasks, swiss knives and tripods.
They’re potentially objects used on a regular basis by the target demographic.

The dark grey background coupled with the heavy vignette was something the client specifically requested.
It reflects Tumi’s signature black-on-black nylon material, a well-known feature of their products.

ALPHA BRAVO PARATROOPER

ALPHA BRAVO RECON

ALPHA BRAVO INFANTRY

ALPHA BRAVO CADET

Industrial Color hired a professional stop motion photographer/director for the production phase of this campaign.
The images were shot as ultra high resolution TIF sequences (8256 x 5504px in 300 DPI), which allows more control in post -
I was able to do close-up zooms to better showcase the design and material texture of the bags without losing image quality.

As the soundtrack has already been approved by the client, I was able to synchronize each stop motion spot to the music.
I looked for small moments in the music where I could time objects to “dance” to the beat.

We collaborated with a flame artist for the project’s retouching needs.
For example, the raw backplate of the shots had too much texture and required some cleaning up.

Each spot starts with a close-up of the fully-assembled hero product before showcasing the detachable section of it.
The camera then zooms out to capture the entire knolling layout. Since we’re trying to achieve a stop motion look,
I reduced the compositions’ frame rates to 12 to achieve that stuttery, clay animation feel.