Are You a Hero or a Rebel? How to Use Different Brand Archetypes

In 1947, psychologist Carl Jung had a hypothesis. He believed that people use symbolism to break down complicated ideas into easy-to-understand bitesize portions of information. Jung went a step further, claiming that these symbols were "individual products of our unconscious" and were combined into "forms or categories of a collective nature."

What Jung was trying to say, in essence, is that as humans, we are intuitively aware of symbols (traits) that assist us in defining who someone represents and what motivates their actions, and then we categorize these symbols into categories that help us identify people of a certain type (or brand). Jung termed these pre-programmed categories ‘archetypes’.

It's through these archetypes that we're able to recognize everything we come into contact with. We identify the villain in our favorite Netflix series, the hero in our favorite book, the antihero in our favorite film, and when it comes to shopping choices, we connect with different businesses due to the characteristics we identify in them that are more similar to our personalities.

That feeling of resonance and connection is the reason that your brand archetype matters. A brand archetype reflects the essence of who you are as a business. Your archetype is everything in terms of branding; it's what entices customers to your brand, and it's what helps them purchase from you, and stay loyal to you.

Here's how to find yours, and use it:

1. What is a brand archetype?
2. What does a brand archetype do?
3. How to use brand archetypes
4. The right archetype can empower your brand

What is a brand archetype?

A brand archetype, as the name implies, is a characteristic representation of a company or product. Brand archetypes employ activities, messaging, symbology and principles to portray a persona that is identifiable, and ultimately relatable, to the target audience.

Brand archetypes are an important part of brand personality, and your brand archetype can help customers relate to your company or product by embodying your brand persona. Customers may identify with your brand's claims and values, and view them as consistent with their own personal principles, wants, needs or goals.

Thankfully, for a lot of brand’s there’s also a lot of choice - 12, to be precise. They are:

• The Caregiver
• The Creator
• The Ruler
• The Explorer
• The Innocent
• The Sage
• The Hero
• The Magician
• The Rebel
• The Everyman
• The Jester
• The Lover

What does a brand archetype do?

Brand archetypes are important because they predominantly do three vital things for a business:

1. Brand archetypes match your brand to the proper brand archetype personality and motivator, keeping your brand on track and giving it a strong sense of self-identity
2. Archetypes help your internal content producers and external creative partners understand the types of material and kinds of content that should be produced in line with your brand personality from archetype templates
3. Brand archetypes affiliate your company's offerings with Customer Persona types that your target audience represent

How to use brand archetypes

To use brand archetypes, you need to select the archetype that feels most in line with your business and its products and services, or values, brand vision or mission. The chosen archetype will then provide you with a framework of how to communicate your brand to your customers, including things like styling your brand voice, visualizing your brand identity and developing your brand personality to reach the right audience on the right channels.

Here’s a list of the brand archetypal templates that you can start putting to use:

1. The Caregiver

The caregiver brand archetype is a selfless individual who wants to care for and protect its customers. Caregiver brands will be characterized by values such as compassion, nurturing and security.

Because Caregiver archetypes need to embody values of warmth, selflessness, generosity, and care in order to appeal to consumers' desires for safety, brands that wish to follow these archetypes must contain the same sentiments of warmth, nurture and safety in order to appeal to their consumers.

An example of a caregiver brand is The Johnson & Johnson conglomerate, whose brand messaging usually emphasizes the company's aim to care for and protect its customers' well-being and that of their growing families in particular.

Consider using this archetype by creating a brand that is welcoming, generous, inclusive and offers nurture and/or protection throughout its messaging, tone of voice and imagery.

2. The Creator

The archetype of the Creator is often identified through values of innovation, individuality and self-expression.

A brand following the Creator archetype must emphasize how it gives tools to allow its customers to express themselves. Consumers should always be the heroes of their own narrative, therefore messaging should inspire people to be themselves and celebrate their individuality by drawing on their creativity and inventiveness.

An example of a Creator brand archetype is Adobe, who regularly reiterates that it places the powers of innovation and individuality in its consumers' hands by giving them the tools they need to unleash their potential: their products.

To use the Creator brand archetype, ensure that your brand places emphasis on the importance of individual expression, creativity, imagination and innovation, and ensure that your products or services help your consumers on their journey to self-power. Futuristic, or visionary messaging, imagery and color palettes are often used here.

3. The Ruler

The archetype of the ruler is authoritative, confident, a bit frightening and emphasizing class, success and wealth. Rulers consider themselves to be industry innovators who are immune to challenge from competitors beneath them.

The Ruler archetype is one that should be followed by companies who wish to instill a sense of prestige, power and respect in their customers. Consumers will desire and require to feel as though they are joining an exclusive club, therefore a Ruler brand must emphasize its value proposition and define its unique authority.

Almost all Rulers have a direct link to luxury, so excellent examples are companies like Mercedes-Benz and Rolex Watches. Both of these brands exude a sense of superiority as well as an elitist luxury that only the extremely wealthy can afford.

Use the Ruler by creating an authoritative brand voice, placing emphasis on prestige and high quality, and by using deep color schemes like dark blues and royal purples.

4. The Explorer

Explorers love finding new things, which is why those who want to be identified with the Explorer brand archetype are frequently ecstatic about their adventures. Conformity isn't something that explorers enjoy; instead they prefer to challenge themselves and embrace their unique personalities including bravery, an exploratory attitude and a passion for discovery. Explorers also like to face a challenge head on. They are willing to take risks in order to find what they're looking for, but that's okay with them because even the most challenging situations don't daunt them

Once a brand starts to adopt the Explorer archetype, it must be persistent in challenging its customers and advocating for freedom. One such approach is to offer users the opportunity to go outside and explore using products or services from the company.

The North Face is a good example of an Explorer brand that promotes its products as the essential gear required to break free and get outside.

5. The Innocent

Innocent brands are honest, pure and committed to doing good. The archetype of Innocent may only be channeled by businesses that earn customer trust with truthful, genuine and good communication and signifiers.

Customers will be scared away if anything undesirable is advertised because consumers use Innocent brands to feel happy, inclusive and invoke a sense of personal accomplishment.

The Innocent archetype is represented by Dove soap. Its consumers are told that it wants to look after us by being truthful about the ingredients of its goods, which aren't likely to cause damage to our skin or the environment, and that it will also cherish us because it knows we are valued.

Use the Innocent brand archetype by adopting a warm, soothing and welcoming tone. Make sure that you’re regularly stressing your values of care and nurture, and use warm tones and soft colors to create a sense of safety.

6. The Sage

The Sage brand archetype is precisely as you would expect: They are honest, knowledgeable, and experienced. Their aim is to better people's lives through knowledge. Sage brands adore learning, but they also enjoy discussing their knowledge through philosophy.

Sage-based brands must appeal to their consumers by appealing to their intellect and quenching their insatiable thirst for knowledge. Brands must use factually and methodically researched information, communicate using the greatest vocabularies, and avoid oversimplifying complex ideas.

An example of a Sage brand archetype is IBM. IBM has been around for many years, and as a result it has become a leader in its field. Because of its history, people pay attention (or buy) when IBM speaks.

7. The Hero

The Hero brand archetype is similar to fictional Hero archetypes in that they are driven by pride in their strength, tenacity and perseverance. They are compelled to make a difference in the world and preserve the day, which endears them to their fans. Workaholics are often characterized by hero archetypes as well because they take pleasure in knowing that their productivity is miles ahead of others.

To appeal to Hero consumers, brands must make customers feel capable of succeeding and achieving in whatever they set their sights on. In addition, brands must stress that the world (or at least their consumers' immediate inner circle) will know of their success.

Microsoft is an excellent example of a Hero brand archetype. Take note of how everyone in a Microsoft commercial produces something incredible that amazes others around them: That's the Hero archetype at work. Microsoft will help you succeed in your job, and people will be astonished by you.

8. The Magician

The Magician brand archetype strives to fulfill customer expectations by channeling mystical and magical methods. By experiencing a magical moment, Magician archetypes are able to guide their customers through a process of change. The magician archetypes think that we are only limited by our imaginations, therefore they seek to break the bounds of what is feasible in order to extend the limits of what is imaginable.

Because various personalities can be appealed to, archetypes of the Magician hardly fit one particular consumer persona. Any business that sells a product or service that will change its consumers could be classified as a Magician archetype.

The most famous magician archetype example is of course Walt Disney. By creating new realms of existence for their consumers, Disney activates consumer fantasies to provide a transformative experience. Both in their theme parks and in their films, the Walt Disney Company taps into consumer imaginations to create new worlds.

To use the Magician archetype, take your consumers on a journey. Play on imagination, and think outside of the box to show how your product or service can make dreams realities.

9. The Rebel

The desire to revolutionize the world and the thrill that comes with it are likely factors behind a company's embrace of the Rebel brand archetype. Rebels are known for their hatred of conformity, rules and regulation, although they may have good intentions.

Brands that are following the Rebel archetype must demonstrate to customers that they understand and embrace their perspectives, and do so by remaining authentic and genuine in their messaging. Consumers will identify with a brand's enthusiasm for change and revolution, as well as its resistance against the status quo.

Harley Davidson is a great example of a Rebel brand. The brand identity for Harley Davidson symbolizes freedom from societal norms. Rebels are frequently chasing the sensation of emancipation that comes with breaking away from society to ride loud bikes, fast.

10. The Everyman

The Everyman is the archetypal normal, average consumer. The Everyman's most significant wants are to be part of a group and to blend in with the crowd. The Everyman archetype is popular, but seldom passionate about something, making them loved yet easily overlooked.

Brands looking to utilize the Everyman archetype need to make their consumers feel a strong sense of "nice," be relatable, provide customers with a sense of belonging and promote the idea that it's fine to just be normal.

Slack is a great example of an Everyman brand archetype. Slack doesn't aim to be the latest must-have IM. When you need to send someone a message or seven GIFs in a row, you want to do it confidently and swiftly, Slack is there for you.

11. The Jester

Jester archetypes are the stereotypical Class Clowns. They like to have fun, and the company considers it their obligation to act as non-conforming as possible with other corporate policies in order to be a disorganized ray of sunshine.

Jester personalities are always looking for the good in life and constantly recapturing a child-like sense of enjoyment. Because we all require light in our lives, Jesters seldom appeal to just one buyer persona.

Brands that wish to use the Jester archetype should always exude a light-hearted and happy attitude, and they are free to make puns in their copy. Laughter is one of the most effective forms of connection, so if companies get this right, they may quickly develop a strong following among their customers.

Bizspace is an example of a Jester brand archetype. Bizspace transforms something uninteresting into something amusing, lighthearted and punny on a daily basis, poking fun at themselves in the process. This breaks from the ordinary and encourages business owners to utilize their services by creating a human, non-corporate non-boring connection.

12. The Lover

The Lover brand archetypes thrive on being coveted. Their own desires are rooted in intimacy and sensuality. They're the attractive, seductive brand that employs delicate imagery and milder color schemes to elicit powerful responses from their customers.

The Lover archetype is one that appeals to consumers who are looking for meaning, connection and pleasure. Both language and tone should be soft and seductive in order to appeal to this archetype. The use of symbolism is particularly vital when depicting this character.

Haagen–Dazs is an example of the Lover archetype. Haagen-Dazs' tagline, “Made like no other,” emphasizes the quality of the ice cream. This aspect of the brand demonstrates concern for those who consume it by going to great lengths to make it as excellent as possible, while their commercial imagery is that of indulgence and maximum pleasure for the senses.

The right archetype can empower your brand

Knowing what type of brand archetype you want to use can give your business a strong foundation on which to connect with your target audience, helping you to find your voice and stand out in your market.