Salesforce. Technology meets art, naturally.
Salesforce is the #1 AI CRM and some might think a technology company that delivers cloud-based software, apps, and solutions would be cold and well, tech-y.Not so in the various Salesforce towers and offices around the world. Walk into any lobby at the major Salesforce hubs and be transported, wowed, and mesmerized by the large scale digital LED video walls and physical experiences. These lobbies welcome employees, visitors, and people off the street everyday. These experiences are fun, immersive and welcoming to all, and serve as one of the biggest expressions and first touchpoint of the Salesforce brand, which is known as Trailhead.
Nature is at the heart of the Trailhead brand, which celebrates national parks and natural landmarks all over the world, as well as the sense of discovery, exploration, fun, and adventure. The Trailhead brand, which goes hand-in-hand with the company’s commitment to sustainability goals toward a net zero future, has served as a unifying look across the company’s global campuses and events.
“The intention for every piece is for it to work globally, but there are designs that also celebrate the regional culture,” said Janny Jacinto, Salesforce Senior Director, Real Estate Creative. “It’s always exciting when we are able to work in collaboration with local artists.” While most of the content works year-round, the team also creates for specific locations and seasons.
But enough about the where and the how, let’s talk about the art.
In the Redwoods: Redwoods are the foundation of the Trailhead brand because they are inspiring, magnificent and welcoming to everyone. The photography was shot over the course of five days in Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park and Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, this ambient piece has been a regular part of the show flow for years, and represents the Salesforce commitment to net zero emissions and sustainability.
Our Virtual Aquarium: A pro-bono collaboration with the Monterey Bay Aquarium, this was created to bring awareness to our oceans and the need to protect them. The Salesforce team worked with the Monterey Bay Aquarium in-house film production team to reimagine some of their most popular exhibits for their epic LED wall at Salesforce East.
A Vintage Wallpaper (above): Created to commemorate the opening of Salesforce Tower in Sydney. Nature was expressed in the form of vintage-style wallpaper featuring flora and fauna native to Australia with illustrations done by Lezio Lopes. Lezio also illustrated the main title sequence for HBO’s The White Lotus.
Nature Dreams: Artist Refik Anadol took millions of images from nature and interpreted them as an AI data sculpture. Though Refik’s work is now featured all over the world, Salesforce East was his studio’s very first permanent canvas.
More-than-a-green-wall: LED displays were turned into giant living walls, with planter boxes full of colorful flowers, butterflies, and foliage.
Blooming Flowers: This completely CGI optical illusion is a time lapse view of a selection of flower varieties growing and blooming within a dramatic shadow box.
Resin River Table (above): This idea stems from custom-made Chef’s tables on each of Salesforce’s ‘Ohana Floors, communal spaces on the top floors of their global towers that are available to nonprofits and foundations for events. Each table is made from sustainably sourced wood and stone native to the office region. Inspired by the look of resin art, they give their Chef’s table a surreal spin as it opens up to a river full of swimming koi, floating lily pads, and characters spending a leisurely day on the water.
A Magical Forest: “This might be my favorite, it’s so fun and gives us all a new perspective,” said Dave Lentz, Salesforce VP, Executive Creative Director, Events & Media. It’s Trailhead meets A Bug’s Life, where we zoom in on a beautiful forest to see a micro view of the ecosystem with characters living amongst the foliage, interacting with larger-than-life critters and flowers.
“The content we create is meant to be ambient, uplifting, and inspirational, not overt marketing jargon or product messaging. We utilize video as architecture whenever possible,” said Jacinto. The Salesforce creative team treats every piece as art, hoping to bring unexpected beauty, joy, and engagement into all their corporate spaces.
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About The Technology
LED display manufacturer SNA Displays has long been a key partner in adding elegance and dynamic style to Salesforce locations with direct-view, large-format LED displays and powerful systems architecture.
Over the past decade, this collaboration has resulted in hundreds of workplace displays in major cities across four continents. Awe-inspiring lobby video walls, digital art showcases, ultra-fine-pitch conference room signs, and large-format media walls for townhall spaces and other common areas have also energized and inspired the community of Salesforce employees and their clients.
As top companies increasingly recognize the value video adds when thinking about memorable spaces and experiences, large-format digital signage is becoming highly sought-after in the corporate environment. Salesforce has unmistakably been a trailblazer in this arena: By integrating state-of-the-art LED video into its skyscrapers in nearly every corner of the globe, the software giant has created enviable consistency both in the high-quality display tech it employs and the revolutionary atmosphere it creates.
“Helping realize the Salesforce vision has been a great pleasure for our entire team,” said Mitch Leathers, Vice President of Marketing and Communications for SNA Displays. “From must-see video wall showcases to functional workplace screens, Salesforce has created wonderful consistency with dynamic video throughout their locations and set an enviable example by tastefully combining large-format digital signage with beautiful art.”