Animations for RIMOWA: Narrative, Journey & Collaboration

AnimationKlaus KremmerzBranding and Advertising
Written By Dutch Uncle

German luggage house RIMOWA joined forces with illustrator Klaus Kremmerz to craft a series of animated illustrations under the title “Gifts for the Journey Ahead”.

Klaus Kremmerz, represented by the agency Dutch Uncle, contributed his signature illustrative style enriched by narrative-driven visuals.

In one prominent film within the campaign, the narrative follows a protagonist throughout a year in her life—transitioning through career, friendships, everyday moments—concluding with a home-coming for Chinese New Year.

The RIMOWA cross-body bag serves not just as product placement, but as the visual element linking these life-moments continuously.

At its heart, this collaboration conveys a story of journey, identity, and continuity.

  • The suitcase/cross‐body bag is framed as a companion through life: not just luggage, but a symbol of present, past and future.

  • The narrative loop culminating in a Chinese New Year homecoming underlines roots and return, as much as forward travel.

  • Kremmerz’s style, characterised by bold outlines, flattened perspective and rich but muted palette, brings warmth and emotional weight rather than cold luxury detachment.

  • The message can be summarised as: gifting a RIMOWA is gifting a journey ahead, a thread connecting chapters of life—whether work, friendships, travel, home. The visuals reinforce that the product is embedded in life’s narrative.

For illustrators and brand-builders alike, this project offers lessons:

  • An artist with a well-defined voice (Klaus Kremmerz) can collaborate with a luxury brand without losing authenticity.

  • A brand product (in this case a travel bag) can be elevated to a narrative symbol rather than mere object.

  • Integrating movement (animation) and still illustration deepens engagement—the project wasn’t just static images but an animated journey.

  • Contextualising brand within cultural moments (e.g., Chinese New Year, year of the Rabbit) allows resonant storytelling.

In sum, the Kremmerz × RIMOWA collaboration is a successful synthesis of distinct visual language and brand narrative: the illustrator’s characterful, human-oriented style merges with the luxury travel brand’s story of mobility, roots and gifting.

The suitcase is more than functional—it becomes a vessel of life’s passages.

Dutch Uncle

Dutch Uncle is an award-winning international illustration and animation agency founded in 2006 by Helen Cowley. With offices in London, New York, and Tokyo, we operate across every major timezone, connecting the world's most ambitious brands with exceptional global creative talent.

Over nearly two decades, Dutch Uncle have built one of the most decorated artist rosters in the industry. Our artists have produced Gold Clio and Cannes Lions award-winning work for clients spanning fashion, luxury, fintech, tech, healthcare, and publishing. We have collaborated on prestige illustration and animation projects for global leaders, including Hermès, Burberry, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Rimowa, as well as Apple, Google, Mercedes, Netflix, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, The New York Times.

We represent illustrators and animation directors who lead their fields in conceptual thinking, visual intelligence, and craft. Artists whose work cuts through algorithmic sameness to deliver genuine cultural impact.

Beyond our core roster, we also draw on an international network of talent across five continents to meet the scale and complexity of any brief.

Dutch Uncle operates as a full-service creative production partner, managing everything from artist sourcing and briefing through to licensing, copyright, animation production, and final delivery.

We specialise in complex, multi-market projects that demand creative precision and seamless execution. Whether that is a single editorial commission, a suite of high-impact social media assets, or a global animated campaign.

For nearly twenty years, the world's leading agencies, publishers, cultural institutions, and brands have trusted us to bring their most ambitious work to life.

https://www.dutchuncle.co.uk
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