Brand Archetypes Archives (2024)

FAQs

What are the 12 brand archetypes? ›

There are twelve brand archetypes: The Innocent, Everyman, Hero, Outlaw, Explorer, Creator, Ruler, Magician, Lover, Caregiver, Jester, and Sage.

Twelve archetypes have been proposed for use with branding: Sage, Innocent, Explorer, Ruler, Creator, Caregiver, Magician, Hero, Outlaw, Lover, Jester, and Regular Person.

The current findings provide support for the continuing relevance and importance of brand archetypes in marketing, showing that brands do connect with customers by evoking specific archetypes consistently.

Just as fictional characters are written according to broadly defined paradigms that help us understand their actions, a brand archetype is a way of presenting a brand — its symbology, values, behaviours, messages — as a persona, thus making it more recognisable and relatable to target audiences.

Jung labeled these archetypes the Self, the Persona, the Shadow and the Anima/Animus.

He identified 12 universal, mythic characters archetypes reside within our collective unconscious. Jung defined twelve primary types that represent the range of basic human motivations. Each of us tends to have one dominant archetype that dominates our personality.

To be more specific, Jung's psychology has been characterized as "unscientific" on the following grounds: that some Jungian concepts, such as archetypes and synchronicity, cannot be proven by the scientific method. that Jung subscribed to a nineteenth-century notion of evolution that has since been discredited.

An archetype is an emotion, character type, or event that is notably recurrent across the human experience. In the arts, an archetype creates an immediate sense of familiarity, allowing an audience member to relate to an event or character without having to necessarily ponder why they relate.

Why archetypes are important? ›

As aspects of ourselves, archetypes may reveal our most important desires and goals. Understanding their expression in our life myth or story helps us gain access to unrealized potential, grasp the logic and importance of our lives, and increase our empathy for the archetypal stories that others live.

Brand archetypes make branding more memorable and recognizable to their target audience. As a business, it's not enough to just have a pretty logo or a catchy slogan. You need to connect with people on a deeper level, tapping into their emotions and getting them excited about your product or service.

The biggest reason why mass awareness doesn't work is that it's not focused enough. Awareness is all about getting your brand and message in front of as many people as possible. But when you target everyone, you attract no one. The problem is that most organizations don't need attention from the masses.

Everyman archetype example: While a bit of the shine is off its star of late, Amazon is a classic example of an Everyman brand archetype. The company appeals to anyone, and unlike businesses such as Paddy Power, Amazon actively swerves away from any divisive topic.

Business branding is important because consumer perception and trust are necessary for your business to thrive today. With enough branding consistency, you can generate trust with consumers and become a name that locals remember when they are making purchase decisions.

How do archetypes influence our behavior? Jung described archetypes as “the forms which the instincts assume.” Instincts are like biological urges. When we trigger an instinct, it activates a pattern of behavior like running a software program on your computer.

Here are four common brand growth strategies for businesses looking to extend their services or product offerings. The four brand strategies are line extension, brand extension, new brand strategy, and flanker/fight brand strategy.

The short answer is to this question is: yes—you can choose multiple archetypes.

There are 12 classic archetypes. These cover the spectrum, from those that convey comfort to others to those that create excitement. Choosing the right archetype for your business is essential. But first, review the classic archetypes and understand their role in creating a deep connection with their target market.

How do you use archetypes in branding? ›

Archetypes are in many ways enduring, but their visual representation evolves over time. Consider three of the most common archetypes: the Caregiver, the Creator and the Explorer.

With popular brand messages like “It's a real thing” and “open happiness”, the Coca-Cola brand is the perfect example of the innocent archetype. Often depicting moments of simplicity, Coca-Cola encourages consumers to find fulfillment in the everyday moments that matter like spending time with family and friends.

Carl Jung created 12 archetypes: Ruler. Creator or Artist.

So, what has Apple's archetype traditionally been? When the company debuted their famous “1984” Super Bowl spot, they were firmly establishing themselves as an Outlaw archetype. The Outlaw's motto is “rules are made to be broken,” and their core desire is revolution.

Jung argues that the imitation of Christ does not consist of casting one's burden on Jesus but means undertaking the same experience of life that Jesus had, the way of individuation.

Jung believed religion was a profound, psychological response to the unknown — both the inner self and the outer worlds — and he understood Christianity to be a profound meditation on the meaning of the life of Jesus of Nazareth within the context of Hebrew spirituality and the Biblical worldview.

Jung felt Freud's concept of the unconscious was limited and instead of simply being a reservoir of repressed thoughts and motivations, as Freud believed, Jung argued that the unconscious could also be a source of creativity.

What brand archetype is Gucci? ›

Another example is Gucci, whose brand strategy is solely built on the Lover archetype.

Starbucks is an excellent example of a company that uses an archetype in their branding – they feature a siren in their logo. In literature, the siren (a mermaid with two tails instead of one) is confident and tempting, a real-life fantasy, something that people don't have a chance of staying away from.

So, what has Apple's archetype traditionally been? When the company debuted their famous “1984” Super Bowl spot, they were firmly establishing themselves as an Outlaw archetype. The Outlaw's motto is “rules are made to be broken,” and their core desire is revolution.

Disney creates magic through the careful construction of their own brand identity. Because Disney embraces the Magician brand archetype, customers already expect to experience magic when they interact with any part of the vast Disney umbrella.

Lastly, Louis Vuitton is a subtle example of an Explorer brand archetype. As a luxury fashion label, they could be classified as the Ruler, but they stands out from their counterparts such as Gucci and Michael Kors by being the Explorer.

McDonalds – Cardinal Orientation to order. The main arche- type here is – Ruler. The main archetype is represented by 66%, according to focus group members - mostly students of business school.

The Hero brand archetype

These brands tell the world about their accomplishments and constantly look for ways to prove themselves. Nike is a fantastic example of a Hero brand archetype. They're not just selling sportswear, they want their customers to feel inspired, and empowered by the products they buy.

The Lover: to inspire love and intimacy

It is a trait that teaches consumers to appreciate themselves and that they deserve to indulge. This is a more niche archetype and fit companies like Godiva, Nespresso, Ferrari, and L'Oreal.

Clearly, the Jester is the most lighthearted of the three archetypes. As any traditional jester would, brands in the archetype take pride in entertaining others, and focus heavily on humour, joy and spontaneity. A well-known example of a Jester brand is Pepsi.

Famous brands that use the Hero archetype: Nike. Adidas.

What is the archetype for Nike's marketing strategy? ›

Using the Hero archetype as a foundation for all marketing material, Nike's strategy is to provide consumers with an opportunity to have heroic qualities similar to the ones they admire in world class athletes.

The Caregiver Brand is the brand archetype for brands like Google or Duolingo – which strive to help people in their daily life and want to make them do something they might not usually do. This kind of brand tries to be helpful and solve problems in a creative way for its customers!

As a gifted and dedicated outlaw/magician archetype, Elon's entrepreneurial journey inspires others to join in his pursuit to save humanity from itself or chase after their own visions.

Innocent archetype brands

Innocent, Dove, Nintendo.