Disney. Prada. Crayola.
They’re more than just brand names. They evoke an immediate sense of excitement, nostalgia, and love in consumers. They inspire the same loyalty audiences feel for an archetypal character like Luke Skywalker or Harry Potter.
Why? Because the people who built these brands knew how to identify and communicate the brand archetypes that perfectly express their company identity.
Just as classic archetypes are used to develop popular stories, brand archetypes help your business establish an identity that resonates on an emotional level with your customers. Understanding how to use this tool when creating your brand is essential for establishing consumer loyalty and enduring connections.
The history of archetypes dates back to the early twentieth century when Swiss psychologist Carl Jung developed his theory of universal archetypes. According to Jung, archetypes are innate, universal patterns of thoughts and behaviors that exist in the collective unconsciousness all humans share.
As such, archetypes influence human beliefs and actions on a fundamental level, and our perception of archetypes guides our attitude and behavior. We see archetypes manifest as fictional characters, symbols, personality types, and even business models.
The archetype model helps brands reflect the personality traits a company communicates in its identity. They help differentiate companies from their competitors and connect businesses with target audiences.
Businesses draw their identity from one or more of the following 12 branding archetypes:
Optimistic, pure, and young, the Innocent conveys a sense of happiness in its products or services. Dove soap and other beauty products use this brand archetype.
Brands that showcase themselves as supportive and faithful — like Home Depot — identify with the Everyman.
Hero brand archetypes like Red Cross show themselves as courageous, bold, and inspirational.
Companies that promote a rebellious image, like Harley-Davidson, use the Outlaw archetype.
Are you in the business of making dreams come true and promoting imagination? The Magician is a brand archetype often associated with Disney.
Intimate, passionate, and sensual, the Lover archetype can be found in brands like Victoria’s Secret and Godiva Chocolate.
Brands that promote a sense of joy and fun, like M&M, make use of the Jester archetype.
Businesses that specialize in providing care and warmth, like UNICEF, use the Caregiver in their brand messaging.
The Ruler conveys a sense of power, control, and success. You’ll find these traits in companies like Mercedes-Benz and Rolex.
Imagination, inventiveness, and creativity are all traits found in Creator brands like LEGO and Crayola.
NPR, PBS, and the BBC use the Sage archetype to promote themselves as trusted sources of knowledge.
Independence, adventure, and discovery are traits associated with GoCity and other Explorer brands.
Brand archetypes help identify the universal desires, thoughts, and behaviors associated with your brand. This gives you a clearer idea of how to shape your marketing messaging, influencing everything from your brand design to your advertising tone.
Providing audiences with a consistent, unified brand experience also evokes strong emotions in your target audience related to your archetypes and brands. This helps you connect with consumers who share your values.
Finally, understanding your brand’s unique personality traits differentiates you from your competitors. Your staff and your audience will understand what separates you from other companies in your industry, helping you stand out.
Identifying your brand’s personality type means more than just choosing one of the 12 brand archetypes. You must first:
Examine your buyer personas and target audience. What values and desires motivate them? Identifying their archetypal personality traits can help establish which brand archetype resonates the best with them.
Notably, your brand archetype may not be identical to your audience’s. For instance, an audience that identifies with the Creator archetype may respond best to a company that associates itself with the Magician, since they see this brand archetype supporting and promoting their own creativity.
Consider the values your company follows. Which archetype for brands do they match up with? You may find that your company identifies with multiple core archetypes.
For example, healthcare organizations need to be courageous and inspirational like the Hero but also provide care and warmth like the Caregiver. Don’t be afraid to blend other archetypes into your presentation to fully capture your brand's unique identity.
What brand archetypes do your competitors identify with? How does your own company personality differ? Just because you work in the same industry doesn’t mean your archetypes can’t vary.
For instance, Nike associates itself with the Hero qualities of personal empowerment and strength. Meanwhile, Prada’s high-end shoes are more aligned with the Ruler’s values of success and prestige. Both evoke strong emotions while attracting different target audiences.
Archetypal branding in marketing helps you present a more unified brand identity that attracts your ideal consumers.
Brands like Nike have benefited from this by leaning into their Hero brand archetype, which emphasizes boldness with their “Just Do It” slogan. Audiences also get a sense of strength when Nike shows athletes overcoming challenges in their commercials. This associates feelings of empowerment with wearing Nike shoes.
On the other hand, Coca-Cola marketing campaigns tend to focus on expressions of happiness and fun between friends and family. This causes audiences to link their company with the Innocent archetype and associate drinking a Coke with enjoying the simple pleasures in life.
Doing a branding audit on your current marketing strategy helps identify areas where your own visual branding and tone can align better with your chosen archetype(s). Consider partnering with a branding agency to leverage the idea of archetypes for more cohesive storytelling across all your marketing platforms, from social media to product design.
Pixel Pocket provides no-code design solutions that are built to fit your unique branding and business needs. You can manage and monitor your design requests throughout the design process and enjoy unlimited revisions until you are satisfied with the work. Book a call to see how Pixel Pocket can help build your brand identity.
