It’s hard to tell if a celebrity is being 100% when they endorse a product… because slapping a beautiful face on a brand is one of the oldest tricks in the marketing book, and it seems like every company has at least one notable endorser these days.

But not so when it comes to Anthony Ramos, the film and Broadway megastar who’s graced the cover of TIME magazine and, really, could have any endorsement he likes. But of all the companies Ramos might align himself with, he has chosen TUMI—and this week, he premiered as the new face of the brand along with a fresh campaign, entitled “Life in Forward Motion.”

TUMI, founded in 1975, is a top manufacturer of luxury luggage and travel accessories, creating their wares out of beautiful yet highly durable and ingeniously engineered materials. The most discerning travelers in the world trust TUMI to keep their valuables and keepsakes safe, from movie sets in Hollywood and on-location photo shoots in Brooklyn to weekend getaways in Miami. Anyone who travels with any frequency—for work, for fun, or for anything in between—knows how vital having the best luggage really is.

“Life in Forward Motion” celebrates the 10th anniversary of TUMI’s Alpha Bravo product line, which has become known as one of the more fashion-forward, go-anywhere members of the TUMI family of products. The campaign introduces dozens of new silhouettes and colorways to Alpha Bravo, including backpacks, slings, chest packs, briefs, duffels, and crossbodies. Forged of materials like TUMI’s signature ballistic nylon and ultra-durable ripstop (which takes its cues from sturdy parachute fabric), the products are now made more sustainably, a la recycled textiles. 

The campaign itself features still shots and a short film of Ramos, seen hanging out in his hometown of NYC as he preps lines for a role, works on songs with a creative partner, and dances at a strobe light disco, all while wearing pieces from the Alpha Bravo collection (including the super clutch Recruit 3-in-1 Chest Pack in olive, monogrammed). Ramos is dressed in a sporty-fit polo shirt, relaxed navy trousers, oxblood brogues, and a crisp white tank top, as well as a puffy black leather jacket (while at the club, of course). The multi-talented star looks cool, comfortable, and collected, exactly as a TUMI man should.

During our Zoom call with Ramos from his home in Manhattan, the excitement he’s been feeling about this partnership was palpable, even digitally.

  “I’ve been a fan of TUMI for such a long time!” he exclaims from the sunny highrise. “I love being hands-free when I can. And I tend to pack light. So you gotta pack right. TUMI gets that!”

And so does Ramos. “Back in 2019 I was traveling a lot for work,” he explains of the banner year he had before the lockdowns. “My boy Will, he’s my producer, he always had TUMI everything, all the time. All his baggage matched. I’m talkin’ the backpack, the carry-ons, the instrument cases, the checked bags. Everything. And they lasted forever! We would travel together a lot, and he was the one that was like, you gotta stop playin’, bro. You gotta level up, get yourself some TUMI!”

And as luck would have it, Ramos’ team gave him a list of brands looking to partner with the then-burgeoning talent just a short time later. After looking over the names of large sneaker and apparel companies, Ramos had a suggestion for his team: TUMI. “Traveling has always been big for me. I love exploring new places, connecting with people, and learning about different cultures. So I kept thinking about Will’s fly luggage, and I was just like, guys, I love TUMI! Now, like three years later, this deal comes through. Crazy coincidences.” He quickly winks and grins to the camera: “I must’ve manifested it!”

Ramos then grabs the laptop he’s Zoom-ing with us on and briskly carries us to his living room couch, where his well-worn TUMI luggage is laid out, the appropriate bag for the occasion ready to be grabbed at a moment’s notice. 

“Yo, this joint, I sent like 10 of these to my friends and family,” Ramos says as he holds up a matte black Logistics Flap Lid Backpack. He opens it up, revealing the many compartments inside, filled with charging cords, two pairs of sneakers, loose papers, an extra hoodie, what looks like an iPad, and an epi-pen, just in case. “This thing holds literally everything. And the handle right here above the lid? Perfect. The matte black color scheme? Fire. And it’s made sustainably, which is more important now than ever!” The beaming Ramos gladly takes on the role of expert salesman as he shows off his new brand partner.

“I absolutely loved creating this campaign with the TUMI team, they’re some of the most high-quality people I’ve ever collabed with,” Ramos says. “Which makes sense. It’s a high-quality team for high-quality products. Now, even my wallet is TUMI!”

The happy partnership already has more TUMI shooting locations on the horizon. But for now, we can’t tell you where that may be happening. “I can’t say much yet,” Ramos says, “but the next place TUMI and I go is going to be somewhere warmer than New York, for sure. We’ll get to dive a little deeper into my story. It’s somewhere close to my heart, and I think it’s going to be really, really special.”

We’ll be on the lookout for more of TUMI and their favorite guy, Mr. Ramos!

Pieces from the Alpha Bravo collection can be purchased at TUMI.com, in TUMI stores, and at other fine retailers.