Using the 12 Brand Archetypes to Catapult Your Brand
Creating good branding stems from understanding who you are and how you operate. This lays the foundation for branding that truly encapsulates YOU! Because YOU are your brand.
That is why I love brand archetypes so much. It is one of the first places I start with all my branding clients.
Okay so wtf is a brand archetype?
Archetypes were established by Carl Gustav Jung. Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology. If you are thinking this sounds a lot like Freud, you’re right. Jung and Freud were BFFs…until they weren’t. Jung developed many fascinating theories, including Archetypes, defined as universal, primal symbols and images that derive from the collective unconscious.
Cute... but what does THAT mean?
Archetypes are innate, unspecific knowledge, derived from the sum total of human history, directing conscious behavior. They are underlying base forms from which emerge images and motifs. History, culture and personal context shape these created representations thereby giving them their specific content. Critics claimed these theories are reductionist and stereotypical, solidifying the cultural prejudices of the interpreter.
I mean think about cultures around the world. Cultures across all time have highly similar, if not identical, stories with no ability to have collaborated or idea-shared, like origin stories.
Now translate this concept of archetypes to brands. A brand archetype is “...a universally familiar character or situation that transcends times, place, culture, genre, and age. It represents an eternal truth.” - Advertising Strategist, Jon Howard-Spink.
Knowing your archetype gives your brand power. With your archetype, you cap tap into the emotional experience your audience desires and can convey your message more efficiently. Basically: YOU WILL TELL A BETTER STORY. There are 12 different brand archetypes. These 12 are broken down into 4 key desires. These desires are the core purpose of each specific archetype. It is what they provide to their audience and each individual archetype activates these desires in a different way.
Let’s look at the 4 desires and the archetypes that fall into each one.
Provide Structure
Caregiver provides structure through service
Ruler provides structure through control
Creator provides structure through innovation
Explore Spirituality
Innocent explores spirituality through safety
Sage explores spirituality through knowledge
Explorer explores spiritualty through freedom
Leaves a Legacy
Outlaw leaves a legacy through liberation
Magician leaves a legacy through power
Hero leaves a legacy through mastery
Pursue Connection
Citizen pursues connection through belonging
Jester pursues connection through enjoyment
Lover pursues connection through intimacy
Learning and understanding your brand archetype will allow you to activate your archetype. Each archetype has a unique way of connecting with their audience. Tapping into things like, what the audience looks for in a brand, how they like to be communicated to, what colors resonate with them, etc, will make it easier to reach and convert those dreamy customers.
Have you identified your brand archetype? Take this quick quiz to uncover your brand archetype. Explore the corresponding content to further dive into and master your archetype.
