When I start a TV show, I immediately try to identify each archetype.
Who is the protagonist? Who is the bad guy? Who is the unsung hero who saves the day at the last minute? Sometimes it’s clear from the start and sometimes it’s not until the last scene.
The point is, these archetypes are well-known personalities that are used to tell a story. They help us as viewers understand what’s going on and help us invest emotionally in the characters.
In real life, brands use archetypes to shape their narrative. Let’s cover the 12 brand archetypes how to define yours and look at some examples of popular brands today.
What is a brand archetype?
A brand archetype is a representation of your brand as a persona based on 12 central human desires and values such as security, power and belonging. The idea behind your archetype is to build a brand narrative and create an emotional connection with your target audience.
The archetype model is attributed to the author and thought leader Carol S. Pearson, who sketched the 12 archetypes in her book “Awakening the Heroes Within”.
An archetype is more than just a person or character – it’s tied to a larger topic, concept, or emotion that transcends time and culture.
For example, anyone, regardless of culture or generation, can identify with the concept of a hero. Brands like Nike embody this archetype because it tells it scalable and consistent History that opens up human nature.
It’s easy to confuse a brand archetype with a brand identity. While the two may seem similar in concept, their compositions are completely different.
Your brand identity is a holistic view of how your brand presents itself to the world, from logos and colors to messages and promises. An archetype, on the other hand, is the personification of your brand values, mission and history.
Simply put, your identity says “Here I am. “Your archetype says:”Here is my story. “
Why should you use brand archetypes?
Brand archetypes are useful for all brands, regardless of size or success.
For emerging businesses, an archetype can help shape your brand perception. Since an archetype is tied to a topic, it is easier for consumers to find their way around.
Too often brands seem far removed from their target audience. An archetype can help bridge that gap and create an emotional bond between you and your audience.
Let’s say you’re an established brand struggling to connect with your target audience. In that case, building an archetype can help you create a narrative around your brand that your audience can congregate behind.
Additionally, archetypes help you set expectations for interactions with your brand at each touch point.
Brand archetypes wheel
- The innocent longs for security and looks at things from a half-full glass. The main themes for this archetype are happiness, trust, and purity.
- The wise longs for understanding. For them, the pursuit of knowledge is in the foreground. Education oriented companies like Coursera and Discovery typically exhibit this archetype.
- The explorer longs for freedom. This archetype is all about the daring and the exciting. Think of outdoor and adventure brands.
- The outlaw longs for deliverance. They believe in the saying, “Rules are there to be broken”. The main themes for this archetype are rebellion and disruption.
- The magician longs for power. They are dreamers who believe anything can happen. You can also often find this with entertainment brands as well as beauty items.
- The hero longs for mastery. They don’t shy away from a challenge and show courage, honesty and bravery – a common archetype among sportswear brands.
- The lover longs for intimacy and focuses heavily on the senses. Popular aficionados archetypes can be found in indulgent brands like chocolate, wine, fragrance, and cosmetics.
- The fool longs for pleasure. They bring the fun to the party every time and are not afraid of a little mischief.
- Everyone longs to belong. They are warm, kind, and humble. This is perhaps the most flexible archetype, and you can see it across a wide variety of industries.
- The caregiver longs for service. The main theme of this archetype is altruism. Nonprofit and sustainability brands often depict this archetype.
- The ruler longs for control. You value organization, power and status. You will often notice this archetype with luxury vehicle brands.
- The creator longs for innovation. You are brave, creative and not afraid to try new things. Technology brands like Apple and Adobe are perfect examples of this archetype.
How to define and create your brand archetype
1. Consider your values and your mission.
The industry you are in can tell you how easy it is for you to define your archetype.
For example, if you’re a camping gear company, your archetype can easily tie in with the Explorer archetype, as this is about adventure. Or if you are a non-profit organization, the Caregiver is a natural addition. However, it is not always that simple.
For the most part, you will have to dig deep and relate to your values and mission statement to find direction. They serve as thematic pillars of your brand and help you determine which archetype suits you best.
For example, let’s say you’re a jewelry brand with a sell-one-give-one model and your mission is to grow
You tell us the “why” behind your business. Maybe it’s sustainability, empowerment, celebration, or something else entirely.
By answering these questions, you can determine which archetype makes the most sense for your brand.
2. Build on emotions.
We know through research that emotional attraction works. And storytelling is the perfect vehicle to convey emotions.
This is why archetypes can be so successful – they are tied to emotions.
With that in mind, consider what emotions you want your audience to feel when connecting with your brand.
Chocolate is often associated with love. As a result, many chocolate brands are adopting the “lover” archetype and creating commercials that emphasize texture and create sensory experiences.
That leads us to the next tip below.
3. Think about your audience.
While your brand archetype can be greatly influenced by your company values and mission, it’s also important to consider your audience in this process.
Will they connect with this archetype? Do you see yourself in it? How will you react?
By asking these questions, you can shape your brand archetype and tailor it to your target audience.
For example, you might find that your brand has both the archetypal qualities of “Jester” and “Anyone”. However, based on your understanding of your audience, you can choose to rely more on one for a particular campaign.
Also, as your company is going through a rebranding process, you can rethink which brand archetype would best suit your brand.
Examples of brand archetypes
1. Godiva
This one is a simple one.
Godiva is a chocolate brand that represents the “lover” archetype.
Her brand, which is reflected in her commercials, is all about intimacy, enjoyment and the feeling of the senses.
Take this advertisement.
It’s filled with pinks and reds, colors commonly associated with sensuality and intimacy. The recordings play with different textures that are supposed to awaken the senses.
And if the archetype is still not clear to you at the end of the commercial, set it down in the slogan: “Chocolate never felt so good.”
2. Hanahana beauty
Socially conscious brands often fit into the “supervisor” archetype. Hanahana Beauty is no different.
This beauty and wellness brand has a clear mission: to revolutionize the beauty industry with clean products and sustainable practices that improve the shea trade.
In their latest video ad, Hanahana Beauty introduces a new product called “Skin Nutrition”.
One prominent line from the ad reads: “For me, one thing you can do to show love is through giving. “
The narrator goes on to say that self-love is also a form of giving, it is giving to yourself.
Overall, the ad is inviting and warm – it mirrors the archetype beautifully.
3. Saysh
“Like so many of us, I’ve been told to know my place.”
When you hear this quote from Olympian and Saysh founder Allyson Felix in the company’s ad, you’re instantly invested in their story.
This ad tells the story of a “hero” archetype who faces challenges and approaches them head on. Felix explains how her path as an athlete and mother has shown her that her greatest competitor is inequality.
She is fighting against this with her brand.
It’s everything you’d expect from a hero archetype: open, brave, and inspiring.
4. Netflix
If you follow this streaming channel on any social media platform, you have probably already suspected that they are following the “fool” archetype.
Whether in a tweet or in an ad, Netflix relies heavily on humor to attract and captivate its audiences.
The brand is all about enjoyment – especially when leaning back and relaxing to watch your favorite TV show or movie. So it is only right that their archetypes match.
If you’re looking to create video commercials like this one based on your branding archetypes, consider tools like Wistia, Vidyard, and Hippo Video. You can use these tools to create high quality videos to target audiences in both B2B and B2C markets.
Building your brand archetype is just another way to connect with your audience. As your brand evolves, many things can change, including your products or services, your messages, and even your target audience. Your archetype ensures that you tell a story that resonates with every consumer.
