McCormick

McCormick

McCormick

McCormick

HQ Atrium

Animation, Large Scale, Environmental

The historic American spice company opened a new headquarters centered around a towering digital display.

I art directed the inaugural animations from First Person.

The historic American spice company opened a new headquarters centered around a towering digital display. I art directed the inaugural animations from First Person.

The historic American spice company opened a new headquarters centered around a towering digital display. I art directed the inaugural animations from First Person.

The historic American spice company opened a new headquarters centered around a towering digital display. I art directed the inaugural animations from First Person.

Star Anise

Star Anise

Star Anise

In October of 2018, McCormick & Co. opened its new global headquarters in Hunt Valley, MD. Central to their state-of-the-art new building was a soaring eight story atrium featuring a three-and-a-half story tall LED screen.

First Person partnered with McCormick to produce a series of motion art pieces that would run continuously on the screen and serve as a prominent visual centerpiece for the company's employees and visitors.

Nondeterminate
Temporal
Eye-candy

Nondeterminate
Temporal
Eye-candy

Nondeterminate Temporal Eye-candy

Nondeterminate Temporal
Eye-candy

We hit upon this phrase to describe the objective of the motion art as it played in the space. McCormick was clear that the screen was not meant to be a venue for marketing, messaging or more product-focused content. Rather, they wanted the screen to serve as a work of art that conveyed beautiful animation meant to be admired.

McCormick_4pnl_StarAnise

We also knew the animations would run on a continuous loop throughout the day in an atrium surrounded by offices, conference rooms and break kitchens.

The motion had to be subtle, tasteful, colorful but not too intense, and balance both an initital "wow" factor with the functional needs of a prominent background element in a busy working space.

In other words, it had to be amazing but also comfortable.

Ginger

McCormick_4pnl_Ginger

Vanilla

Vanilla

Vanilla

The series of animations I made were particle-based abstractions of spices. Rather than use literal imagery or figurative illustrations, McCormick encouraged us to use color, texture, shape and rhythmic motion to suggest powerful spices like vanilla, star anise and ginger as well as classic flavor profiles like savory, sea-salt, flame-broiled and herbal.

The series of animations I made were particle-based abstractions of spices. Rather than use literal imagery or figurative illustrations, McCormick encouraged us to use color, texture, shape and rhythmic motion to suggest powerful spices like vanilla, star anise and ginger as well as classic flavor profiles like savory, sea-salt, flame-broiled and herbal.

McCormick_4pnl_Vanilla
McCormick_Testing_1
McCormick_Testing_2
McCormick_Testing_3

Onsite testing was essential to ensure the animations were welcome guests in their space. My creative director and I flew to Baltimore and visited the McCormick headquarters in person.

We tested the colors, timing, frame rates, resolutions and file-sizes, pushing all to their limits to achieve the highest visual quality without breaking the technology or causing stutters, buffering and other A/V glitches that would tarnish the effect.

Sea Salt

McCormick_4pnl_SeaSalt
McCormick_Portfolio_6

Flame Broil

McCormick_Portfolio_7

Savory

Herbal

My Role

Art Director
Animator

Art Director
Animator

Agency

First Person

Creative Director

Tony Welch

Project Manager

Lauren Lindberg

Lauren Lindberg

© Casimir Fornalski 2010 – 2021

© Casimir Fornalski 2010 – 2021

Media is a tool. Be constructive.

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