Can brands be associated with gender identities? Absolutely. Some brands naturally align with gender identities like Marlboro exudes a masculine identity, while Chanel embodies femininity. And it doesn’t stop there.

But with so many possibilities, how do we ensure we don’t lose our way when building a brand? The answer lies in starting with brand archetypes.

BRAND ARCHETYPES

In the world of marketing and branding, creating a lasting impression is essential to standing out in a noisy marketplace. To achieve this, your brand needs a distinct personality — a character that your audience can instantly connect with. This is where brand archetypes come into play. Rooted in the profound theories of Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, brand archetypes leverage ancient, universal symbols to define a brand’s values, personality, and essence.

At its core, a brand archetype functions like a well-defined character archetype, one that people instinctively understand due to its universal presence in stories, myths, and human experiences. By aligning your brand with a specific archetype, you give it a human-like persona that resonates deeply with your audience.

Brand archetypes provide a powerful framework for shaping your brand’s identity. By tapping into universally recognized symbols and traits, they allow brands to speake directly to the human psyche, create a sense of familiarity and trust, and make your brand more memorable and impactful.

Let’s delve into each archetype one by one and discover what they truly stand for.

THE INNOCENT: Free to be you and me

The Innocent in each of us wants to live in that perfect land where we are “free to be you and me.” The promise of the Innocent is that life does not need to be hard. You are free to be yourself and to live out your best values right now, right here, just by following simple guidelines.

Of all the archetypes, the Innocent has the most levels, because people experience it at both the beginning and the end of the journey. Initially the Innocent has a childlike quality of naiveté and a simple, even unconscious, dependence. At the highest level, the Innocent is the mystic. Even in a more materialistic and competitive society, the Innocent archetype is associated with simple pleasures, basic values, and a wholesomeness that make it the meaning of choice for natural and other domestic products.

The poet W.H. Auden wrote that people come in two varieties: Utopians, who imagine the perfect world in the future, and Edenists, who, if life is not perfect now, believe it once was in the past. Innocent ads, then, often appeal to nostalgia.

The Innocent archetype provides a good identity for brands that:

Provide a relatively simple answer to an identifiable problem;
Associated with goodness, morality, simplicity, nostalgia, or childhood;
Priced moderate to low;
Have functions associated with cleanliness, health, or virtue — and that are infinitely replicable;
Desire to differentiate from a product with a tarnished image.

THE SAGE: The truth will set you free

Sages have their own way of finding paradise. Their faith is in the capacity of humankind to learn and grow in ways that allow us to create a better world. In the process, they want to be free to hold their own opinions.

Sage brands promise that they can help you discriminate better and think more effectively. More typically, Sage marketing is dignified and subdued, with an elite air to it. The message is “Not very many people are smart enough to be here.” The temple of the Sage archetype has to be either the library or the bookstore. The Sage organization typically has a very decentralized structure, emphasizing the development of expertise rather than control. Employees are expected to know what they are doing and therefore are free to make autonomous decisions.

When the Sage is dominant in someone’s character, learning is a compelling motivator. The accompanying fear is of being duped by misinformation and therefore misinterpreting data or a situation. At worst, the Sage is dogmatic, arrogant, and opinionated. At best, he or she becomes a genuinely original thinker and achieves real wisdom.

The Sage archetype provides a good identity for brands that:

Provides expertise or information to your customers;
Encourages customers or clients to think;
Based on a new scientific breakthrough or esoteric knowledge;
The quality of the brand is supported by hard data;
Differentiate the product from others whose quality or performance is questionable.

THE EXPLORER: Don’t Fence Me In

While The Innocent expects to be able to live in paradise, as a right or by virtue of a shift in consciousness, the Explorer goes out seeking a better world. The journey Explorers are experiencing is simultaneously inner and outer, because they are motivated by a deep desire to find what, in the outer world, fits with their inner needs, preferences, and hopes. Unlike the Hero, they don’t wait around for an inciting incident to drive them to action. They are ready, set, go all the time.

Explorers seek authenticity in their lives and are always curious about the world. They want to delve deep into the stories, people and places they encounter to get to the heart of it all. Today the Explorer can sit at home alone and surf the net, exploring not so much physically, but through a whole world of information. Amazon.com’s name calls up the image of sailing the Amazon River as you actually sit comfortably in your home.

On the other hand, the Explorer can be too independent and reject the support or help of loved ones, which means they sometimes feel isolated and alone. It can be hard for the Explorer to let people in and join them as they blaze a path through life. They struggle in situations where they’re supposed to obey the “rules” or conform to a prescribed identity.

The Explorer archetype provides a good identity for brands that:

Help people feel free;
Sturdy on the road, or in dangerous settings or occupations;
Sell product that can be purchased from a catalogue, the Internet, or another alternative source;
Sell product that helps people express their individuality;
Offer product that can be purchased and consumed “on the go”;
Seek to differentiate your brand from a more conformist brand.

THE OUTLAW: Rules are meant to be broken

While the Hero wants to be admired, the Outlaw is satisfied to be feared. At least, fear implies power of some sort. Both the Hero and the Outlaw feel anger. The Hero takes action when he or she is outraged by injustice. The Outlaw’s anger tends to be provoked by being slighted as a person. The natural habitat for the Outlaw is places that are hidden and shadowy — out of the way.

Outlaw brands have a complicated role. They can reinforce soulless, cynical behaviors when values are absent. But they can also assist in bringing down an oppressive establishment, help to open and ease social restrictions, or serve as a safety valve that allows people to let off steam, thus protecting the status quo.

While the Explorer also stands at the edges of society, Explorers just want to be free. By contrast, the Outlaw actually wants to disrupt things, shock people, ferment a revolution, get away with something, or just feel the excitement of being a little bit “bad.” The Explorer is lonely and seeks his or her identity. The Outlaw feels helpless and seeks the experience of power, even if only in the ability to shock or defy others.

The Outlaw archetype provides a good identity for brands that:

Provide a relatively simple answer to an identifiable problem;
Associated with goodness, morality, simplicity, nostalgia, or childhood;
Priced moderate to low;
Have functions associated with cleanliness, health, or virtue — and that are infinitely replicable;
Produced by a company with straight-arrow core values;
Desire to differentiate from a product with a tarnished image.

THE MAGICIAN: It can happen

Magical people often have dreams that other people see as impossible, yet it is the essence of magic to have a vision and then walk right into it. When things go wrong, they look inward to change themselves, then the outer world changes as well. Trusting synchronicity, they expect that if they do their part, the universe will meet them.

The spirit of the Magician is easily evoked when the product has exotic or ancient origins or if it involves some special ritual. The Magician is also a great brand identity for corporate change strategies, miracle drugs, herbal remedies, spas, exotic travel, and, of course, any product or service that directly affects consciousness.

The Magician can be known as the visionary, catalyst, innovator, charismatic leader, mediator, shaman, healer, or medicine man or woman. When the Magician archetype is active in individuals, they are catalysts for change. To the Magician, consciousness precedes existence. Therefore, if you want to change your world, you begin with changing your own attitudes and behavior. Such people also typically understand at a deep level how consciousness works, so they are able to influence others in highly effective ways and therefore they make very strong in charismatic politicians and business leaders.

The Magician archetype provides a good identity for brands that:

The product or service is transformative;
Its implicit promise is to transform the customer;
It appeals to New Age consumers or cultural creatives;
It helps to expand or extend consciousness;
It is a user-friendly technology;
It has a spiritual or psychological component;
It is a new and very contemporary product;
It is medium to high priced.

THE HERO: Where there’s a will, there’s a way

Everything seems lost, but then the Hero rides over the hill and saves the day. There are infinite variations on this story, but in every one the Hero triumphs over evil, adversity, or a major challenge, and in so doing, inspires us all.

The natural environment for the Hero is the battlefield, the athletic contest, the streets, the workplace, the political jungle, or anyplace where difficulty or challenges await courageous and energetic action. The Hero wants to make the world a better place. His or her underlying fear is failing to have what it takes to persevere and prevail. This archetype helps us develop energy, discipline, focus, and determination.

Heroes pride themselves on discipline, focus, and an ability to make tough choices. They are the instinctive protectors of those they see as innocent, fragile, or legitimately unable to help themselves. All others, they prefer to shape up. At their worst, Heroes become arrogant or bullying, or they drive themselves into an early grave. At their best, they accomplish great things. Paradoxically, Heroes do not think of themselves as Heroes, because to do so seems presumptuous. More typically, they see themselves as just doing their jobs.

The Hero archetype provides a good identity for brands that:

Have an invention or innovation that will have a major impact on the world;
Helps people perform at their upper limit;
Addressing a major social problem and asking people to step up to demand;
Have a clear opponent or competitor they want to beat;
Are the underdog and want to rival the competition;
Their customer base identifies itself as good, moral citizens.

THE LOVER: I only have eyes for you

Any brand that implicitly promises beauty and sexual appeal is a Lover brand. The Lover archetype governs all sorts of human love, from parental love, to friendship, to spiritual love, but it is most important to romantic love.

The Lover archetype also awakens people’s aesthetic appreciation. Suddenly beauty matters — whether it is a natural scene, the ambience of an elegant restaurant, or just the right pair of shoes. Similarly, the senses are heightened, and people take time to savour gourmet food, smell the lilacs, listen to a beautiful melody, and watch the sun go down.

The archetypal plot that grabs attention is deeper than the most frequent commercial message. The archetype does not say that the new hairstyle, outfit, car, or plastic surgery will get you the love of your life. What that archetypal plot says is that it will do so if the change reveals the real beauty of your nature. The Lover wants a deeper kind of connection — one that is intimate, genuine, and personal. Such forms of connection whether with lovers, friends, or family members — require much greater knowledge, honesty, vulnerability, and passion than the cooler connectivity of the Everyman.

The Lover archetype provides a good identity for brands that:

Helps people find love or friendship;
Fosters beauty, communication, or closeness between people or is associated with sexuality or romance;
If it is produced or sold by a company with an intimate, elegant organisational culture, as opposed to a massive Ruler hierarchy;
Needs to differentiate itself in a positive way from lower priced brands.

THE JESTER: If there’s no fun, I’m out.

The Jester archetype includes the clown, the trickster, and anyone at all who loves to play and enjoy life. While it is possible to have fun alone, the Jester calls us to come out and play with one another.

The Jester as rule-breaker has a long, honourable history. Mediaeval kings often had fools who not only lightened up the court, but also told the king truths others would be executed for telling. The Jester, therefore, acted as a kind of safety valve for the kingdom.

Jester ads often cause us to laugh at situations that would ordinarily be sad, not humorous like the comic slipping on a banana peel. The Jester also promises that activities which might ordinarily be seen as tedious or boring can be fun. Jesters most helpful in dealing with the absurdities of the modern world and with faceless present-day bureaucracies, partly because they take everything lightly and partly because they are happiest when breaking the rules.

Jesters dislike party poopers, people who are overly earnest, and those who are lacking in humour. A downside of the Jester, therefore, can be a tendency to play through life without grappling with issues or thinking things through. The Jester archetype helps us really live life in the present and allows us to be impulsive and spontaneous.

The Jester archetype provides a good identity for brands that:

Helps people belong or feel that they belong;
Helps people have a good time;
With pricing that is moderate to low;
Need to be differentiated from a self-important, overconfident established brand.

THE EVERYMAN: All men and women are created equal

The Everyman demonstrates the virtues of simply being an ordinary person, just like others. It may also be known as the good old boy, everyman, the common man, the realist, the working stiff, the solid citizen, the good neighbor.

There is a complete absence of artifice in this archetype, as there is a kind of levelling tendency. For example, simply asking for a beer at a party (versus, say, an Absolut on the rocks), choosing to invite a client for a run in the park instead of a power lunch, or wearing your Tevas to work even though you are a Silicon Valley millionaire immediately signals that you value the Everyman principle and lets your Regular Guy colours fly. Everyman is unfailingly frugal, whether or not he or they have money. Brands in this archetype also reassure people that they are OK just as they are.

The natural meeting place for Everyman is neither the home nor the workplace. Historically, people met in public spaces that were conducive to conversation about things of general interest — sports, politics, light gossip, or the weather.

To the Ruler, the logo speaks of status. To the Explorer, the logo may be a statement about identity. To the Everyman, the logo is a means of affiliating, a way of demonstrating your connection with others who use that product and identify with its brand meaning.

The Everyman archetype provides a good identity for brands that:

Helps people belong or feel that they belong;
Used commonly in everyday life;
With pricing that is moderate to low;
Produced or sold by a company with a down-home organisational culture;
That want to differentiate themselves in a positive way from a higher priced or more elitist brand.

THE CAREGIVER: Love your neighbor as yourself

The Caregiver is an altruist, moved by compassion, generosity, and a desire to help others. The Caregiver fears instability and difficulty not so much for him or herself, but for their impact on people who are less fortunate or resilient.

For the Caregivers the meaning in life is giving to others. Therefore, the worst fear is that something will happen to a loved one — and on the Caregiver’s watch. Many people today identify caregiving relationships as providing experiences so real that, in contrast to more shallow pursuits, they are what make life worth living.

At their worst, these brands skim the surface of the Caregiver stereotype. At their best, they convey the essential qualities of the caregiving relationship:

Empathy: seeing and feeling things from another’s perspective, not just our own
Communication: listening to what they say, what they don’t say, and especially, what they mean
Consistency: wholesale, reliable, unquestioning commitment
Trust: the bedrock of true attachment.

The Caregiver archetype provides a good identity for brands that:

Provide support to families or that are associated with nurturance such as cookies;
Service in the health care, education, and other caregiving fields including politics;
Help people stay connected with and care about one another;
Help people care for themselves;
Support non-profit causes and charitable activities.

THE RULER: Power isn’t everything. It’s the only thing.

The Ruler knows that the best thing to do to avoid chaos is to take control. While Innocents assume that others will protect them, the Ruler has no such faith. Gaining and maintaining power is therefore a primary motivation. To the Ruler, it is the best way to keep oneself and one’s family and friends safe.

Impressive possessions and surroundings are desirable because they provide the trappings of power. Ruler environments are therefore substantial and impressive — think buildings with big columns and plenty of scale. Materials are meant to last and suggest timelessness — like granite or concrete, fine panelling, and heavy draperies.

People with high Ruler archetype tendencies are concerned with issues of image, status, and prestige — not because they are superficial, but because they understand how the way things look can enhance power.
At their best, Rulers are motivated by a desire to help the world. At their worst, they are just domineering or controlling.

The Ruler archetype likes hierarchical organizations because, in them, you know where you stand, your role is clearly defined and tells you what you are supposed to do. You know who reports to you and who your boss is. The Ruler typically, is extremely responsible and juggling many important responsibilities. Ruler products help them be managed in an expedient way and also reaffirm the customer’s power and status.

The Ruler archetype provides a good identity for brands that:

Have a high-status and used by powerful people to enhance their power;
Help people be more organised;
Can offer a lifetime guarantee;
With a regulatory or protective function;
Offer moderate to high price range;
Is relatively stable or a product that promises safety and predictability in a chaotic world.

THE CREATOR: If it can be imagined, it can be created.

Creator brands are inherently nonconformist. The Creator is not about fitting in, but about self-expression. Authentic creation requires an unfettered mind and heart.

Creator spaces include workshops, kitchens, gardens, social clubs, and workplaces — any place creative projects take place.

When the Creator archetype is active in individuals, they often are compelled to create or innovate — anything else and they feel stifled. Authenticity will seem extremely essential to them, as great art and society-changing inventions typically emerge out of the depth of soul or unfettered curiosity of someone who, in many ways, is a cultural pioneer. Indeed, artists typically see themselves as such, creating the world of the future.

Creative types love the process of dismantling old structures and creating new ones. At its best, the Creator archetype fosters real innovation and beauty. At its worst, it provides an excuse for irresponsibility and self-involvement. Employees frequently make jokes about how every new boss decides to reorganize, yet every Creator knows that structures determine outcomes. If you do not have the right structure, your vision will not be realized.

The Creator archetype provides a good identity for brands that:

Encourage self-expression and helps foster innovation;
In a creative field, like marketing, public relations, the arts, technological innovation;
Seek to differentiate it from a brand that “does it all” for the customer;
When a do-it-yourself element saves the customer money;
Have customers who have enough discretionary time for creativity to flourish.

DISCOVERING A BRAND’S ARCHETYPAL IDENTITY

There are 4+1 steps to discover and preserve a brand archetype:

Finding the Brand Soul: Who created the brand and why? What within its essence or equity makes it stand out from the competition? How was it first positioned? What was the best or most memorable communication ever created for it?How have customers related to the brand over the years and how do they relate to it now?

Finding the Brand Substance: Is the brand’s role functional or value expressive for its users? Is use of the brand episodic or routine? Do consumers tend to use the brand exclusively or as their dominant brand, or is the brand part of a portfolio of brands that consumers find equally acceptable? What is consumers’ level of attachment to the brand? Are you trying to attract new users or do you simply want to increase the frequency of use of your brand among those who already use it?

Finding the Competitive Leverage. Have any brands stumbled into archetypal territory, if so, which archetypes? Are any clearly related to the archetype most suited to your brand? How well are the competitors supporting and living up to their archetypes? At what level are the competitors expressing the archetype? Is everyone in the category expressing the same one or two archetypes? Is there an opportunity for a truly new archetype in the category?

Know Your Customer. The final stage of the analysis ensures that the archetype is likely to be powerfully relevant and meaningful to your target prospect. While some part of us responds to each and every archetype, particular contexts, situations, or transition points in life make an archetype especially potent.

Staying On Course. Once the brand’s archetypal place in the world has been clarified, the process of nourishing that identity — and benefiting from it — must be managed carefully. One metaphor that has been helpful to both brand managers, who make day-to-day decisions for their businesses, and corporate leaders, who are responsible for long range planning, is Margaret Mark’s concept of the brand bank.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

When dealing with archetypes, there are several important nuances to keep in mind:

Archetypes Can Evolve Over Time. Archetypes aren’t static; they can shift as brands grow and adapt. Take Apple, for instance. During the iconic “1984” campaign, they embodied the Outlaw, challenging the norms of the personal computer market. Later, with their “Think Different” campaign, they transitioned to the Creator, emphasizing innovation and originality. Who knows which archetype might best fit Apple a decade from now?
Archetypes Aren’t All-Or-Nothing. Brands can embody a mix of archetypes rather than adhering strictly to one. Red Bull, for example, blends 60% Magician (unlocking possibilities) with 40% Hero (pushing boundaries and embracing challenges).
Brands Can Showcase a Spectrum of Archetypes. A single company can represent different archetypes through its product lines. Ford, typically associated with the Everyman, shows a different side with its Explorer-aligned Ford Explorer model. This diversity allows brands to appeal to different audiences and needs.
Archetypes Go Beyond Brands. Archetypes aren’t limited to branding. They can define organizations, individuals, and even customer segments. Understanding that your customers resonate with the Hero rather than the Outlaw, for example, could dramatically influence how you communicate with them.
The Limits of Archetypes. While archetypes provide a strong foundation, they aren’t exhaustive. Don’t feel confined by the 12 core archetypes. There’s a whole world of archetypes waiting to be explored, such as the Dreamer, Sensei, Linchpin, or Artist, offering fresh ways to define identities and connect with audiences.

By understanding these nuances, you can use archetypes more flexibly and creatively, tailoring them to your brand’s unique journey.

So, which archetype will you choose to bring your brand’s story to life? Will it be the Hero, the Outlaw, the Caregiver, or perhaps the Creator? The possibilities are vast, but the right choice can set the foundation for a timeless, meaningful connection with your audience.

Are You a Hero or an Outlaw? Simple Guide to Master the Brand Archetypes

from author