Establishing a brand's communication strategy is a crucial step in image building. It must be tailored to the needs of the target audience, but also relevant to the industry, consistent, and as natural as possible. It should be based on pillars composed of the brand's most important values – therefore, establishing them is a good place to begin creating a plan for reaching potential customers. However, during this process, a marketer doesn't have to reinvent the wheel – the largest brands use popular templates that work well, in part because they are so well-known. Brand archetypes – because we're talking about them – are excellent navigational buoys for every marketer – and there are 12 of them!
Brand Archetype – What is it?
The concept of archetype, obviously, didn't first appear in marketing . It became widely known in the first half of the last century thanks to Karl Gustav Jung, who applied it in psychiatric and psychological research. Jung observed that all people, although they may not be aware of it, recognize certain patterns, recurrences, and universal schemas in their environment. He called these instinctively recognized templates, which in some way simplify the world we live in, archetypes. They help us navigate a highly complex reality, similar to stereotypes.
Other researchers have continued to explore patterns in the collective subconscious, noting, for example, that they frequently appear in fairy tales and myths—both in the plot and in the construction of characters. Let's examine this for a moment. In the classic fairy tales we know, all the characters are either utterly good or unimaginably evil. Moreover, this usually applies to the same types of characters. If a mother appears in the story, she is kind and tender, but the stepmother is always a dark, jealous, greedy, and self-righteous character. The protagonist must be innocent, noble, and pure of heart, and is usually rewarded for these traits—often, to put it simply, by a charming prince.
How do brand archetypes function in marketing?
But let's return to the field of marketing. Two researchers, Margaret Mark and Carol Pearson, introduced the archetype to this field of study in their 2001 book The Hero and The Outlaw: Building Extraordinary Brands Through the Power of Archetypes . The authors noted that manufacturers currently have very little chance of standing out in the market. Competitors can easily copy their solutions, and more and more brands produce the same or very similar products, leading to a situation where the only solution, seemingly, is constant price reduction. Apparently, because in reality, there is another solution that can be applied: endowing your products and your entire brand with special meaning. Making buying from this manufacturer an experience, associating it with adherence to certain values and principles, is how the theory of archetypes finds its place in the brand narrative.
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Archetypes in brand communication
Mark and Pearson noticed that brands, in their communication with their audiences, talk a lot about what they do and how they do it, but their messages lack the most important question: why. Why do they do what they do? Why this particular way and not another? Why this particular product? By communicating this to potential customers, the brand has the opportunity to present a motivation beyond making money, demonstrate its values, and thus connect with audiences who share the same concerns. Building such a cohesive brand image isn't easy, however, which is why it's worth reaching for archetypes.
Talking about fairy tales, myths, and values may seem a bit pompous and out of step with today's free-market reality. In practice, however, brand archetypes are nothing more than another marketing tool. They help define how a brand should appear to its target audience, thus providing guidelines for communication on websites, in social media , and in advertising. Most well-known brands, such as Disney, Pepsi, Nike, Apple, and Volkswagen, utilize the archetype theory. As a result, their promotional activities aren't random or chaotic—they form a harmonious picture that earns them millions of devoted customers.
12 brand archetypes
Archetype classifications vary slightly among researchers, but there are always twelve of them, and they all have similar descriptions. Which archetypes can a brand identify with?
Innocent/Dreamer
Brands like these prove to us that the world is a beautiful, safe place where anything is possible. They promise us nothing but positive emotions, kindness, and predictability—not the kind that bores, but the kind that provides comfort. They never speak of sad, unjust, or terrible events; they envelop us in a bubble of beauty, harmony, and acceptance. They strive to make the recipient feel that nothing bad can happen to them with them. They exude optimism and energy at every turn.
Examples of brands that utilize this archetype include Coca-Cola and McDonald's. They rely on very positive messages, often encouraging us to enjoy even the most ordinary moments. Each ad celebrates joyful experiences and positive emotions, and their visual identity is created in optimistic, saturated colors. All of this serves to ensure that nothing unpleasant can happen to us with these brands.
Who can build the image of the Innocent?
There are certainly industries that uniquely fit the image of the Innocent and naturally thrive in this type of customer communication. These include cosmetics brands (especially those with natural cosmetics), producers of healthy, organic food, companies producing baby products, and companies producing sweet drinks and snacks.
Discoverer
Brands identifying with the Explorer archetype want to be perceived as adventurous, exploring unconquered paths and lands. Freedom and unfettered freedom are crucial to their communication. They often play on vast spaces in their advertising, emphasizing the lack of limitations. They enjoy challenging themselves, encouraging people to live actively and overcome their own barriers.
Brands that communicate with their audiences using the Explorer archetype include Jeep and GoPro. At every step, they show us that with their products, we can do more, that our lives will become more interesting, full of fascinating journeys and incredible experiences.
Who can build the image of an Explorer?
The Explorer archetype is perfect for brands selling sports equipment (especially for extreme sports), travel agencies offering exotic trips, and off-road vehicle manufacturers.
Sage/Philosopher
Such brands take on the role of mentor, a teacher who helps their audience understand the world. In their communication, they don't rely on opinions, but rather on pure facts. They like to present numerical data that demonstrates why their product is the best. When creating ads or posts, they share knowledge, research results, and statistics. The key to communicating like a Sage is gaining authority in the eyes of their audience. Brands that choose this approach must be confident that they are presenting truthful, irrefutable information and that their wisdom is delivered in a way that customers can understand.
Sage-style communication is typically employed by large, established brands, such as Google or the BBC. They convey a wealth of information that most audiences consider trustworthy and requires no verification. Google also has a highly developed mentoring approach – the company provides a wealth of free materials, thus educating its customers. This is a win-win for the audience, but an even greater one for the brand, which thus solidifies its expert image.
Who can build the image of a Sage?
Information services, companies creating educational materials, brands selling industry-specific courses, schools, universities, and individuals offering their services as consultants can all pose as Sages.
Clown/Jolly
The name "Clown" may have unfavorable connotations, but the underlying communication concept is incredibly attractive to brands. It's based on wit, mockery of authority, and a zest for life. Brand-Clowns can sometimes teeter on the edge of what's appropriate and what's inappropriate, making jokes about serious topics. However, they never have malicious intentions—there's no bitter cynicism or irony in them, just an uninhibited joy of life. They want to bring smiles to their audiences, so they might use memes, funny viruses, and the like in their communication. They are very fond of playing with the absurd and thinking outside the box.
A brand that perfectly utilizes the Jester's potential is Skittles, for example, with its ads featuring a rainbow and a milking giraffe. However, this archetype can also be attributed to Pepsi, which uses this toy with its main rival, Coca-Cola. This is evident, for example, in the ad depicting Santa Claus – a character entirely created by Coca-Cola – sipping a Pepsi while on vacation.
Who can build the image of the Jester?
There are essentially no limits to what brands can become a Joystick. However, manufacturers of snacks, sweet drinks, beer, and toys most often choose this approach.
Everyman
Everyman is simply an ordinary person, just like any of us. Brands that want to portray themselves as such don't strive to shock, stand out with sharp wit, or creativity. They don't claim their products are exceptional, but rather comfortable, safe, and familiar. They simply accompany us constantly, supporting us in our everyday problems. Such brands aren't celebrities; they are part of the group to which their audience belongs. They don't pressure us to be better, more brilliant, or achieve something extraordinary in life. These are brands that accept us.
This might seem like a completely unattractive archetype for brands – after all, every brand wants to stand out from the competition. In reality, however, the opposite is true – there are companies that have achieved mastery and enormous financial benefits by posing as the Everyman. A prime example is Ikea, with its furniture and accessories for every home, for every budget, simple, easily accessible, and always up-to-date.
Who can build the image of Everyman?
This archetype works best for companies that produce everyday items, home and garden products, workwear, practical family cars, food products, etc.
Lover/Admirer
Brands that aspire to be the Lover ensure that their products evoke desire in their audiences. Their communication relies on sensuality, intimacy, and the promise of pleasure, perhaps even a touch of sin. Their advertising presents us with beautiful women and handsome men who tempt, seduce, and attract like a magnet. They often use references to love, romance, and physical pleasure. They want to present themselves as worthy of a moment of oblivion, as a temptation worth yielding to because it brings unforgettable experiences.
We see this type of communication, for example, in Victoria's Secret ads, which rely almost exclusively on beauty, desire, and seduction. Another brand that masterfully plays with these themes is Chanel, with its fragrances promising sensual delight. This image has been consistently crafted since the days when Marilyn Monroe, the sex icon of the 50s and 60s, was the face of Chanel.
Who can build the image of a Lover?
This archetype fits perfectly with cosmetics and clothing brands, selling underwear, but also sweets (guilty pleasures), exclusive jewelry, expensive wines and perfumes.
Creator
Creator Brands want to be perceived as creative, innovative, and transforming dreams into reality. They value originality and uniqueness. They are visionaries who strive for continuous development, improving their products to fulfill even more functions. They don't follow others, but forge new paths themselves. They communicate to their audiences that they are creating something valuable and lasting. They often portray themselves as artists, but artists with a deep understanding of business.
Brands that utilize this image-building paradigm include Apple and Lego. The former presents itself as a company creating products of a completely new quality, technologically advanced, and beyond any competition. The latter creates building blocks that allow buyers to create anything they imagine, practically transporting them to a different, more colorful and creative world.
Who can build the image of the Creator?
The brands that benefit most from this archetype are those that produce technologically advanced equipment, marketing companies, copywriters, architects, artists – all of these companies create something innovative.
Opiekun
Creating a Guardian brand image is particularly challenging, as it requires authentic communication grounded in empathy and altruism. Such companies care about their audiences and demonstrate their willingness to make sacrifices to ensure their safety. They position themselves as guardians, protecting against evil and helping them achieve their goals. The qualities evident in such brands include warmth, gentleness, caring, and cordiality.
Which brands utilize this archetype? Organizations like UNICEF and WWF, for example. They demonstrate that they care for the vulnerable and those in need, that they act not for personal gain but solely for the common good.
Who can build the image of a Guardian?
The Caregiver is a natural archetype for nonprofits, medical companies, insurers, clinics, and even banks, because the Caregiver steps in wherever someone needs help.
Ruler
The Ruler is an archetype for strong brands that already hold a high position in their industry. They have everything under control, exuding confidence, an aura of invincibility, and success. However, they aren't perceived as arrogant, as they bestow loyalty and protection on their consumers. They care for them, not out of empathy like Guardians, but out of a sense of responsibility. They strive to make the recipient want to be part of the group they protect, as it's an elite group, accessible only to a select few.
Mercedes, among others, is a master brand, basing its entire communication on portraying itself as a leader, a winner, in a class of its own. It always presents its cars in a way that makes them look as impressive as possible, and the entire visual design conveys the message that not everyone can afford a vehicle from this brand.
Who can build the image of the Ruler?
Brands offering luxury goods—expensive watches, jewelry, cars, designer clothing, and shoes—will benefit most from this archetype. However, it's also a good communication channel for high-end hotels and spas.
Character
Brands that face challenges become heroes. In their communication, they demonstrate that life can be tiring, difficult, and strewn with obstacles, but perseverance and determination can overcome them. Their mission and primary goal is to encourage audiences to act, take risks, and strive for the rewards of doing so. Sometimes, a Hero brand protects the weaker, those unable to fight for themselves, but this isn't inherent to this archetype. The most characteristic themes of a Hero are overcoming one's own weaknesses and hard work, which allow them to achieve what is most important to them—mastery.
The Hero archetype is used by brands such as Adidas and Nike. Both show us that where there's a will, there's a way, and that it's up to us whether we become winners or losers. They portray people who, despite setbacks, keep trying and ultimately, through persistence and perseverance, achieve their goals.
Who can build the image of a Hero?
This archetype is naturally best suited to brands offering sportswear or equipment. However, companies offering support in crisis situations, such as roadside assistance, mechanic shops, or physiotherapy and rehabilitation centers, can also benefit from the Hero image.
Rebel
Brands with this archetype refuse to accept the status quo. They thrive on fighting; they want to ignite revolutions and shatter stereotypes. They don't care about rules, and above all, they value freedom. Sometimes their communication is laced with anger, rage, and even a touch of vulgarity, though there are, of course, exceptions. However, there are no taboos for them, and they like to be blunt in their messages. They fight for a better life, but they also revel in the anarchy they create.
Netflix, for example, is a brand that has embraced the image of a Rebel. It uses its social media and even its products to promote tolerance, speaks out about the problems of modern societies, and opposes discrimination. However, there's none of the pathos of a Hero or the altruism of a Guardian—instead, there's plenty of humor and simple disagreement with the situation. The brand is also rebellious in its very premise—in a sense, it has ended the era of television domination and ushered in the era of streaming platforms.
Who can build the image of a Rebel?
The Rebel image is perfect for companies introducing a completely new, revolutionary product to the market. It also works well for brands promoting avant-garde fashion, motorcycles, or alternative media.
Wizard
Wizard Brands show us that the world can be beautiful, but they do it in a different way than Innocent – they bring magic into our lives. They promise thrilling, fantastic adventures, proving that the only limits that exist are those of our imagination. They are charismatic in their communication and reveal new possibilities that allow us to reach for the stars.
Disney is a company that masterfully embodies this archetype. It naturally transports us to a fairytale world, but proves that anything is possible in our own. This is evident, for example, in the brand's Dream Big, Princess campaign , in which Disney showed girls that they can achieve anything they dream of.
Who can build the image of a Wizard?
This archetype is a natural fit for brands producing toys, children's entertainment, and any products associated with rest and relaxation. Following the principle that sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, it can also be used by companies producing modern gadgets.
How to use brand archetypes?
Brand archetypes aren't meant to be cages that restrict brands' freedom. On the contrary, they should serve as guideposts that facilitate communication with potential customers. Many companies don't limit themselves to using a single framework, but combine the characteristics of two or three archetypes—and this works well. Examples include Coca-Cola, which skillfully intertwines the characteristics of the Innocent and the Wizard, or Apple, which is part Creator, part Rebel. However, it's important to carefully consider your communication strategy and implement it consistently across all channels.
Frequently asked questions about brand archetypes
Archetypes are universal patterns of behavior, traits, and values that give a brand a "human" face. They help define the company's character and its communication, making the brand more understandable and relatable to its audience.
The concept of archetypes originates from the analytical psychology of Carl Gustav Jung, who described universal, unconscious patterns occurring in culture and the human psyche. Margaret Mark and Carol S. Pearson brought this concept to the marketing arena, creating a division into 12 main archetypes (e.g., Hero, Sage, Rebel, and Protector).
Using an archetype helps build consistent and authentic communication. This allows you to establish a deeper emotional connection with your customers, as people are naturally drawn to brands that share similar values. It also helps you differentiate yourself from the competition in a saturated market.
There are 12 basic archetypes, which are usually divided into 4 main motivational groups:
- Striving for order and stability (e.g. Creator, Ruler, Guardian),
- Belonging and building relationships (e.g., Companion, Fool, Admirer),
- Exploring the world and independence (e.g. Innocent, Explorer, Sage),
- Making changes and taking risks (e.g. Hero, Rebel, Wizard).
The choice shouldn't be haphazard or based solely on current trends. It requires a thorough analysis of the company's values, mission, target audience, and the problems it solves. A good archetype must be authentic to the organization and naturally resonate with its customers.
Summary
The above article covers the following topics:
- How to understand archetypes and why are they so important for brand identity?
- A detailed description of the twelve basic brand personality patterns
- Practical application of archetypes in brand communication and positioning
