Salesforce: A Brand Breakdown

Logo History

Salesforce Logo History

Nearly three decades since the company was founded, and Salesforce is only onto the second design of its logo. It seems they found something that did the job and stuck with it.

Both logos are very similar in that they feature a cloud with “Salesforce” written inside. Let’s talk about what makes them different.

1999 – 2014

The company’s original cloud logo featured a white to blue gradient, giving the cloud a 3D effect. The “Salesforce” serif wordmark sits central, inside the white of the cloud.

The compound word is divided, with “Sales” shown in grey, and “force” shown in black; the “f” divides the two words, being the only letter to be italicised.

The cloud emblem has obvious links to cloud computing, helping to emphasise that their services are offered through the internet, rather than as installed IT systems. This was particularly crucial to their early branding, when cloud computing was not as widely used.

2014 – Now

In 2014, Salesforce chose to modernise and simplify its logo. The basics of the logo stay the same – we still have the same cloud shape, and a similar “Salesforce” wordmark.

However, the gradient is now gone, in favour of blue. The wordmark is now white, and the serif font has been replaced with sans serif.

The logo is now much more straightforward (if somewhat boring).

Mascots

Salesforce Mascot History

If you’ve interacted with Salesforce before, the chances are, you’ve been introduced to one (or several) of their “trailhead crew”. These are a cast of characters designed to make using Salesforce applications easier and more fun.

SaaSy

Aptly named Saasy, was the first Salesforce character to make an appearance. SaaSy was developed in line with the company’s NO SOFTWARE concept, and sought to highlight “the end of software”.

SaaSy is a pretty straightforward concept, as far as mascots go. Their body is a circle, featuring the word “SOFTWARE”, with a strike through it. Out of this circle come arms and legs.

SaaSy is happy and energetic, trying to show that, yes, work can be fun. Despite being the first mascot Salesforce ever implemented, back in the early 2000’s, SaaSy is still going strong and can be seen out and about at events today.

Astro

Originating from a concept born as a result of a Developer Marketing event in 2014, Astro has become a staple of the Salesforce universe.

Full name: Astro Nomical. Astro is, apparently, a space traveller (and some type of raccoon).

They exist to be your “warm and welcoming guide” to everything at Salesforce. Astro’s curious and caring attitude is designed to help you get the most out of the Salesforce platforms and have a little fun along the way.

“Astro always encourages you to achieve your goals by experimenting with new things, asking lots of questions, and always remembering to have fun. Ever curious and constantly learning, they love traveling, making new friends, and having brand-new adventures on the trail.”

The Salesforce Characters

In addition to Astro – the star of the show – Salesforce have a collection of other characters that represent different Salesforce products and users.

They are:

• Einstein: Representative of Einstein Product and AI Innovation at Salesforce
• Codey the Bear: Representative of Salesforce Developers
• Cloudy the Goat: Representative of Salesforce Admins
• Brandy the Fox: Representative of Salesforce Marketers
• Ruth the Elephant: Representative of Salesforce Architects
• Zig the Zebra: Representative of the Salesblazer Community
• Koa the Dog: Representative of love and longevity
• Flo the Flying Squirrel: Representative of Salesforce Flow
• Appy the Bobcat: Representative of Partners
• Max the Mule: Representative of all things MuleSoft

It’s safe to say that Salesforce have a character for basically everything.

Special shout out to Koa the Dog. Now immortalised as an illustrated mascot, Koa was indeed a real dog belonging to Salesforce’s founder, Marc Benioff. Koa, who passed away at the ripe old age of 17, was the business’s Chief Love Officer from the beginning.

The big cast of characters might seem a little like overkill – especially when you consider that Astro is supposed to be the guide to “everything” Salesforce. But Salesforce have implemented them in an attempt to humanise the complex B2B technology and make the platform more approachable and memorable.

With each character tailored towards specific user personas, they help to create a sense of connection with Salesforce’s audience, and as a result, increase engagement and recognition.

Typography

Font and Typography

Clear, professional, and human.

Salesforce’s typography is designed to reflect the brand’s credibility while remaining approachable across digital products, marketing, and learning platforms.

Primary Typeface: Salesforce Sans

Salesforce Sans is a proprietary typeface created for the company and historically used across branding, marketing, and the Salesforce Lightning Design System.

It’s a modern sans serif, designed for clarity and legibility.

It appears in logos, headlines, and user interfaces, helping complex information feel readable and accessible.

Because it is proprietary, Salesforce Sans is exclusive to the brand.

Logo Typeface: Aller

The Salesforce logo lettering resembles Aller, a clean sans-serif typeface by Dalton Maag. This gives the wordmark a friendly, professional appearance while supporting the recognisable cloud shape.

Usage Guidelines

Salesforce Sans is used wherever the brand needs a proprietary, recognisable typographic voice, from marketing headlines to product labels.

The logo’s Aller‑inspired lettering ensures brand recognition and approachability.

System fonts in the UI maintain clarity and consistency, particularly for international audiences and digital accessibility standards.

Together, these type choices support a brand that is trustworthy, professional, and human, balancing enterprise authority with digital friendliness.

Colour Palette

Salesforce Colour Palette and Hex Codes

Salesforce’s primary brand identity centres on just two colours. Blue and white.

While they don’t offer anything radical or stand out for the tech sector, what these colours do is symbolise trust, reliability, and professionalism.

Salesforce has stuck with this colour palette over the years, and used other elements – like its cast of characters – to bring more fun and exciting elements to the branding.

Salesforce Blue

• HEX: #00A1E0
• RGB: 0, 161, 224
• CMYK: 100, 28, 0, 12

White

• HEX: #FFFFFF
• RGB: 255, 255, 255
• CMYK: 0, 0, 0, 0

Tone of Voice

Salesforce Tone of Voice

Salesforce’s tone of voice reflects its brand personality: helpful, optimistic, and human centred.

It’s designed to make complex technology feel approachable and inspiring for every audience.

The voice itself has several key qualities that make all of Salesforce’s copy sound distinctive and consistent:

• Helpful: Salesforce writes like a trusted partner, aiming to support and guide users rather than simply sell to them. Information is presented clearly, with useful insights and explanations built into the language.
• Clear: Everyday language and digestible structure are priorities. Salesforce avoids unnecessary jargon and technical complexity, instead choosing simple words and conversational phrasing that make ideas easy to understand.
• Optimistic: There’s a forward-looking, encouraging quality to Salesforce’s communication. The copy often focuses on what’s possible and how users can succeed, reflecting a belief in technology’s potential to make work and life better.
• Inclusive: Salesforce strives to make everyone feel welcome. The tone aims to be respectful and accessible, using language that doesn’t exclude readers based on background or expertise level.

While the core voice remains consistent, tone varies depending on context, audience, and goals.

For example, product learning content might be more informal and slightly playful to keep learners engaged, while executive-facing messaging stays confident and professional.

Together, all of these qualities create a voice that is trustworthy, uplifting, and human. It’s professional without being distant, and empowering without being overly technical.

Reference Panel

Quick Reference Panel

Here’s a quick reference guide for using Salesforce’s branding in visual and written communications:

Salesforce Logo

• Use the cloud logo with the Salesforce wordmark locked inside
• Primary colourway: Salesforce Blue and white
• Always maintain generous clear space around the cloud shape
• Never stretch, skew, recolour, or add effects to the logo
• Do not remove the wordmark from the cloud or recreate it
• Minimum size should prioritise legibility of the wordmark, especially in digital UI

Characters & Mascots

• Characters are core brand assets, not decorative illustrations
• Each character represents a specific audience, product, or role
• Use approved illustrations, poses, and expressions only
• Characters should feel friendly, curious, and helpful — never sarcastic or ironic
• Astro is the primary guide character and should lead where possible
• Characters should support understanding, not distract from content

Colour Palette

• Salesforce Blue: #00A1E0 (primary brand colour)
• White: #FFFFFF
• Use colour sparingly and consistently
• Blue and white should dominate; characters introduce warmth and personality
• Avoid unnecessary accent colours that dilute brand clarity

Typography

• Primary Typeface: Salesforce Sans (proprietary)
• Used across branding, marketing, and learning content
• Designed for clarity, accessibility, and enterprise credibility
• Logo Typeface: Aller-inspired custom lettering
• UI Typography: System sans-serif fonts for performance and accessibility
• Prioritise legibility and hierarchy over stylistic expression

Tone of Voice

• Helpful, optimistic, and human
• Clear, jargon-light language that explains rather than impresses
• Encouraging and forward-looking, focused on possibility and progress
• Inclusive and welcoming for users of all experience levels
• Professional without being cold; friendly without being flippant
• Tone adapts by audience, but the core voice stays consistent

Using This Information

How To Use This Information

Salesforce has built its brand on making CRM software accessible and straightforward to use.

It’s kept things simple, with everything from its logo and brand colours, to typography and website, following clear, consistent rules that reinforce trust and professionalism.

They’ve brought engaging and fun elements into their branding through their cast of characters. These characters, extensive as they are, give Salesforce the opportunity to relate to a wide range of audience personas.

What’s the takeaway? SaaS brands don’t have to be boring.

Where Salesforce have stuck to the rules in their colour palette and typography, they’ve made things different with their characters, and by using a human, jargon-free tone.

Speaking like a human being can make all the difference when it comes to connection — and connection is what helps build strong, memorable brands.

Work With Us

At Canny, we love to help B2B brands stand out.

Whether it’s through developing a brand new identity, designing a user-friendly website, or even by creating an engaging content strategy, we help you do things differently whilst keeping the core of what makes you, you, central.

If you feel like your brand is blending into a sea of competitors, reach out and let’s talk about how you can do things differently.