How to use brand archetypes in your strategy
Earning trust and building relationships are everything when your aim is to build meaningful connections with your customers—and why would you not be aiming for this?!
Brand archetypes use human psychology to understand different types of people and predict how they might act. It’s not without its flaws, but it can be helpful to look at as a part of a brand journey.
What are brand archetypes?
During the 1940s, Carl Jung, a renowned Swiss psychologist developed a set of universal archetypes to represent different personalities. Jung considered the archetypes to be innate and inherited—a standard representation of a person that holds true regardless of time and culture.
These archetypes are recognisable in many guises, both in the past and the modern day. Some say they are deeply ingrained in our minds on a subconscious level. They, therefore, can have the ability to influence our behaviour, leading us to act in a certain way or make certain decisions.
How can we use them?
In storytelling, archetypes are used to create an immediate sense of familiarity between the audience and a character. This is also true of your brand story and this is why brand archetypes are useful in branding and marketing.
It’s common to find that one archetype is a very close fit, with one or two additional archetypes being noteworthy. We can consider these as supporting archetypes. Feel free to note how closely you think they align with your brand.
Something to be mindful of is that archetypes are fundamentally stereotypes. They are quite generalised and so we won’t take them as set in stone, but they are a useful starting point!
Once you have determined your brand’s archetype/s we can look to define and communicate your brand personality more clearly which will help to build closer connection with your target audience.
The 12 brand archetypes are shown below in the outer ring:
Their characteristics can be seen on the inner rings and are then explained in detail, including brand examples.
See which ones fit your brand—It’s really fun, I promise!
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Caregiver
A Caregiver is motivated by compassion and a strong desire to assist and provide a service to others. Caregivers strive to provide a nurturing and secure environment for those around them, and they are known to defend the less fortunate. This archetype is commonly found in maternal figures and in the professions of teaching, charity work and nursing.
Desire: Nurture, protect and care
Strategy: Be of service
Promise: Safety
Traits: Compassionate, empathetic, reassuring, nurturing
Fears: Selfishness, ingratitude, instability, neglect
Brands: Johnson & Johnson, NHS, Pampers
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Ruler
The Ruler seeks dominance and control. They take pleasure in creating rules and expect others to follow suit. Rulers have an unwavering belief in their own abilities and are highly skilled at leading others. They are reliable and steady in their demeanour. Rulers see themselves as the driving force and will do whatever it takes to maintain their position.
Desire: Control
Strategy: Exert power and create exclusivity
Promise: Self-actualisation
Traits: Power, status, success, wealth, loyalty
Fears: Losing power, being undermined, rebels
Brands: Microsoft, Rolls Royce, Rolex
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Creator
The Creator is the most innovative and non-conformist of thinkers. They always push the limits of creativity and design, inspiring others to think outside the box and express themselves through the products they create and the experiences they provide. The Creator also has the ability to empower others to unleash their creativity and realise their full potential.
Desire: Innovate to create perfection
Strategy: Solve problems creatively
Promise: Provide originality
Traits: Innovation, originality, creativity, expression, vision
Fears: Stagnation, duplication, familiarity, indifference
Brands: GoPro, Apple, Lego
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Innocent
Brands with the Innocent archetype have a genuine desire to promote positivity and happiness—they are like sunshine! They are often idealistic and place value on honesty and simplicity. Their primary goal is to uplift people and spread their good vibes, which can be quite infectious.
Desire: Happiness, contentment and peace
Strategy: Do the right thing
Promise: Clarity and simplicity
Traits: Optimistic, charming, honest, loyal, simplistic
Fears: Deception, complexity, punishment, confusion
Brands: Coca-Cola, Volkswagen, Dove
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Sage
The Sage is the ultimate seeker of knowledge and wisdom. They believe truth enables freedom and they strive to empower others to find it. They would rather share information and insights that help others change the world, rather than undertake the task themselves. They are lifelong learners and inspire others to be thought leaders and mentors.
Desire: Gain deep understanding
Strategy: Seek and share information and knowledge
Promise: Guidance and wisdom
Traits: Wisdom, intelligence, expertise, influence
Fears: Lies, misinformation, ignorance, inaccuracy, stupidity
Brands: Google, BBC, The Times
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Explorer
The Explorer highly values freedom and independence. They are not restricted by typical boundaries and are always seeking new challenges and goals. Explorers despise conformity and prefer to venture into uncharted territory where they can push themselves to the limit. They are adventurous, bold and all about the endless journey of discovery.
Desire: Freedom of discovery and finding fulfilment
Strategy: Experience everything
Promise: Provide freedom
Traits: Discovery, adventure, independence, exploration, pioneering
Fears: Aimlessness, over-protectiveness, confinement, inaction, short-sightedness
Brands: NASA, The North Face, National Geographic
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Citizen
Sometimes known as Everyman (or Everywoman!), Citizen brands are all about building connections with people in an unassuming, relatable and approachable way. They value community and belonging above all else. Their approach is inclusive, avoiding extremes of character or opinions that might alienate. They understand that this can sometimes mean they are overlooked or forgotten, but they remain committed to their core values.
Desire: Connection and belonging
Strategy: Get along
Promise: Down-to-earth and reliable
Traits: Dependable, realistic, pragmatic, inclusive, fair
Fears: Exclusion, standing out, hostility, isolation, separation
Brands: Tesco, Ikea, Ford
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Jester
The Jester is always on a mission to spread laughter and joy wherever they go. A Jester brand is all about maintaining a playful, lighthearted stance and finding the good in every situation. Whether they’re cracking a joke or just bringing a smile to someone’s face, the Jester is always ready to brighten up someone’s day.
Desire: To enjoy life and have fun
Strategy: Be playful and live a little
Promise: Entertainment
Traits: Playful, humorous, positive, togetherness, funny
Fears: Boredom, negativity, seriousness, gloom, misery
Brands: Skittles, Compare The Market, Budweiser
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Lover
Brands with the Lover archetype are driven by passion and intimacy and are at the mercy of their desires. They evoke sensuality and empathy in their audience, striving to connect with them on an emotional and physical level. They can also embody a sense of spirituality, companionship, and familial bonds. At times, their passion may overshadow their judgement and the fear of being alone or losing what they hold dear can be overwhelming.
Desire: Intimacy and connection
Strategy: Be as attractive as possible
Promise: Passion
Traits: Bold, committed, romantic, affectionate, indulgent
Fears: Rejection, isolation, loneliness, invisible
Brands: Alfa Romeo, Chanel, Anne Summers
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Hero
The Hero is motivated by their strong sense of morality and their desire to make a positive impact by overcoming injustices and obstacles. They strive for excellence and seek to inspire others to do the same, embodying the qualities of a true leader. Brands that align with this archetype showcase success through hard work and determination, never backing down from challenges. They take pride in their unique approach and view their work as both significant and empowering.
Desire: To solve big problems
Strategy: Motivate, innovate and encourage
Promise: Where there’s a will there’s a way
Traits: Bravery, courage, honour, inspiration, growth
Fears: Weakness, incapability, injustice, cowardice, incompetence
Brands: Nike, BMW, The Royal Marines
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Magician
Brands embodying the Magician archetype aim to create awe-inspiring experiences and realise dreams. Their focus is on delivering transformative products or services that expand imagination and belief. Whilst they value knowledge, they prioritise using it to shape their vision rather than simply sharing it with others. With a flair for the dramatic, Magician brands seek to captivate their audience and leave a lasting impression.
Desire: Realise dreams
Strategy: Develop a compelling vision and stand by it
Promise: Make the impossible, possible
Traits: Transformational, charismatic, imaginative, idealistic, insightful
Fears: Repetition, boredom, stagnation, doubt, unenthusiasm
Brands: Disney, TUI, MAC
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Rebel
The Rebel (or Outlaw) brand archetype is all about shaking things up and breaking the rules. They don’t want to be like everyone else and actively work to challenge established norms and ways of thinking. Rebel brands are fearless risk-takers who strive to create something truly one-of-a-kind. They attract a small, but fiercely devoted following who share their rebellious spirit and embrace their unique vision.
Desire: Revolution
Strategy: Disrupt and do things differently
Promise: Change
Traits: Disruptive, liberator, confrontational, independent
Fears: Conformity, rules, repetition, rigidity, status quo
Brands: Greenpeace, Harley-Davidson, Uber
If you’d like help with your brand strategy or want to learn how to turn your archetypes into a brand personality, give me a shout—I’d love to work with you 🙌