The legendary Dutch design agency KesselsKramer invited me to create two illustrations for a campaign commissioned by Stabilo. The artwork was designed as an overlay for a series of black-and-white photographs supplied by the agency, bringing bursts of colour, imagination, and spontaneity into otherwise familiar holiday scenes.

The campaign was inspired by the tension many people experience during the holiday season. What is often presented as a joyful tradition can also feel obligatory; a moment when old family dynamics, expectations, and hierarchies quietly re-emerge. Stabilo wanted to challenge that rigidity by suggesting a simple alternative: what if we approached these moments with a little more playfulness and colour?

My role was to create illustrations that disrupted the monochrome world of the photographs. Rather than decorating the images, the drawings act as emotional interventions; injecting warmth, humour, freedom, and imagination into everyday situations.

The final campaign combines commercial illustration, animation, advertising, and storytelling, transforming ordinary holiday gatherings into vibrant visual narratives.

Animation by Bas Mooij.
Audio by Sounds by Thomas.

Check the animation here