Ever wondered why certain brands just “click” with us while others don’t quite make an impression? It all comes down to something we brand designers love to talk about: Brand Archetypes.
These archetypes are like the DNA of your brand's personality, shaping how it looks, feels, and interacts with the world. Let’s talk about what brand archetypes are and why they are so crucial in creating compelling brand identities.
What Are Brand Archetypes?
Think of brand archetypes as the fundamental characters in a story—each with its own set of traits, values, and motivations. This concept was popularised by psychologist Carl Jung, who identified 12 core archetypes that represent universal patterns of human nature. In branding, these archetypes help us personify a brand, making it relatable and memorable to its audience.
Here’s a quick look at the 12 archetypes:
The Innocent – Pure, optimistic, and moral.
The Explorer – Adventurous, ambitious, and seeking new experiences.
The Sage – Wise, analytical, and a source of knowledge.
The Hero – Courageous, bold, and striving to improve the world.
The Outlaw – Rebel, unconventional, and seeks to challenge norms.
The Magician – Visionary, charismatic, and transforming reality.
The Guy/Gal next door – Down-to-earth, approachable, and relatable.
The Lover – Passionate, empathetic, and focused on relationships.
The Jester – Fun-loving, playful, and brings joy.
The Caregiver – Nurturing, selfless, and devoted to helping others.
The Ruler – Authoritative, responsible, and focused on control.
The Creator – Innovative, imaginative, and driven by the desire to create.
These archetypes help brands connect on an emotional level, aligning with the values and desires of their audience. But how do we, as brand designers, leverage these archetypes in our work?
Why Are Brand Archetypes Important in Brand Design?
Creating Consistency in Communication: Archetypes give brands a consistent voice and personality. Whether it's through your website copy, social media posts, or customer service interactions, having a defined archetype ensures that every piece of communication aligns with the brand’s core character. For instance, a brand with the Hero archetype will use inspiring and motivational language across all channels, reinforcing its image as a courageous and bold entity.
Guiding Visual Identity: The style and aesthetics of a brand are deeply influenced by its archetype. A brand with the Explorer archetype might use rugged, earthy tones and adventurous imagery, while a Lover archetype might opt for soft, romantic visuals and warm colours. These visual cues instantly communicate the brand’s personality, making it easier for people to connect with it.
Building Emotional Connections: People buy based on emotions, and archetypes tap into these emotional drivers. For example, if your brand embodies the Caregiver archetype, it will appeal to people looking for trust and reliability. This connection goes beyond the product itself; it’s about how the brand makes people feel.
Differentiating in the Market: In a crowded market, having a distinct archetype helps your brand stand out. It provides a unique position and voice that differentiates you from competitors. Think about Harley-Davidson (the Outlaw) vs. Honda (the Explorer); both sell motorbikes, but their archetypes and the way they connect with their audience are entirely different.
Enhancing Brand Loyalty: When customers identify with a brand’s archetype, they are more likely to develop loyalty. They see a reflection of their own values and aspirations in the brand, making them more likely to stay engaged and advocate for it. A brand like Apple, which embodies the Creator archetype, attracts those who value innovation and creativity, fostering a loyal customer base that feels part of a creative community.
How We Use Brand Archetypes at Ästhetik
At Ästhetik, we weave the magic of brand archetypes into our design process through our Brandsthetics methodology. Here’s how we do it:
Discovering the Core Essence (UnBrand): We start by diving into the brand’s origin and vision, identifying the archetype that aligns with its core values and personality. This foundational step sets the stage for everything that follows.
Understanding the Audience (Audentify): We research the target audience to understand which archetypes resonate with them. This ensures that the brand’s personality aligns with the audience’s expectations and desires, creating a natural connection.
Analysing the Competitive Landscape (CompetiScan): We study competitors to identify their archetypes and find gaps in the market. This allows us to position our brand in a unique and compelling way that stands out from the crowd.
Crafting the Vision (EnVision): We create vision boards that reflect the chosen archetype, guiding the design of visuals, colours, and symbols that embody the brand’s character.
Developing the Identity (Brandsthetic): We bring the archetype to life through logos, brand systems, and messaging that reflect the brand’s personality. This is where the brand’s unique voice and visual identity come together in harmony.
Launching with Impact (Flight): We support the brand launch with strategies and materials that reinforce the archetype, ensuring that the brand's story is communicated consistently and effectively.
Here are some examples of brands in New Zealand that you might be familiar with, and the archetype that we think they follow. With these examples you can see how different companies embody these roles to connect with their audiences, and differentiate themselves in their marketplace:
1. The Explorer: Air New Zealand
Traits: Adventurous, ambitious, seeking new experiences.
Why: Air New Zealand embodies the Explorer archetype by promoting adventure and travel. Their marketing often highlights exploring new destinations and the joy of travel.
2. The Caregiver: Whittaker’s
Traits: Nurturing, compassionate, focused on helping others.
Why: Whittaker’s chocolates often highlight quality, family values, and a commitment to community, positioning themselves as caring and trustworthy.
3. The Magician: Xero
Traits: Transformational, visionary, creating change.
Why: Xero's accounting software simplifies financial management for businesses, transforming complex tasks into seamless processes, embodying the Magician’s essence.
4. The Sage: Trade Me
Traits: Wise, knowledgeable, seeking understanding.
Why: Trade Me, a leading online marketplace, provides a platform rich in information and tools, helping users make informed decisions and learn about various products.
5. The Hero: Fisher & Paykel
Traits: Courageous, bold, improving the world.
Why: Fisher & Paykel positions itself as a pioneering brand in innovative home appliances, consistently striving to improve and elevate everyday living.
6. The Jester: L&P
Traits: Fun-loving, playful, bringing joy.
Why: L&P, a beloved New Zealand soft drink, uses humour and a light-hearted approach in its branding, embodying the Jester’s playful nature.
7. The Creator: Icebreaker
Traits: Innovative, imaginative, driven by creativity.
Why: Icebreaker, known for its sustainable merino wool clothing, continuously innovates in fabric technology and design, reflecting the Creator archetype’s focus on innovation and creativity.
8. The Outlaw: 42 Below
Traits: Rebel, unconventional, seeking to challenge norms.
Why: 42 Below vodka often uses edgy, irreverent marketing to set itself apart from traditional spirits brands, fitting the Outlaw’s rebellious spirit.
9. The Lover: Karen Walker
Traits: Passionate, empathetic, focused on relationships.
Why: Fashion designer Karen Walker creates emotionally engaging and stylish products, often using narratives that connect deeply with her audience.
10. The Regular Guy/Gal: The Warehouse
Traits: Down-to-earth, approachable, relatable.
Why: The Warehouse promotes itself as a friendly, accessible retailer that offers good value and everyday products, embodying the Regular Guy/Gal archetype.
11. The Innocent: Lewis Road Creamery
Traits: Pure, optimistic, moral.
Why: Lewis Road Creamery focuses on producing high-quality dairy products with a commitment to natural and wholesome ingredients, aligning with the Innocent’s pure and ethical stance.
12. The Ruler: ANZ Bank
Traits: Authoritative, responsible, focused on control.
Why: ANZ, as a leading bank, positions itself as a trustworthy authority in financial services, offering stability and control to its customers.
Here's a DIY Approach to Finding your Brand Archetype
Finding the right brand archetype can be a transformative step for a small business.
Here are some questions you can ask yourself to discover your brand's archetype:
1. Understanding Your Brand's Essence
What are the core values of your brand?
Consider what principles your brand stands for. Is it about innovation, reliability, adventure, or compassion?
What is the mission or purpose of your brand?
Define why your brand exists. What change do you want to bring about?
How do you want your brand to be perceived by others?
Think about the emotional response you want your audience to have when they interact with your brand.
2. Connecting with Your Audience
Who is your target audience, and what are their primary needs and desires?
Identify your ideal customers and what they value. Are they looking for safety, belonging, freedom, or joy?
What kind of relationship do you want to build with your audience?
Determine whether you want to be seen as a friend, a leader, a guide, or an innovator.
How do you want your audience to feel when they interact with your brand?
Reflect on the emotions you want to evoke—comfort, excitement, trust, or inspiration.
3. Reflecting Your Brand's Personality
What personality traits best describe your brand?
List adjectives that describe your brand. Is it adventurous, wise, fun-loving, or nurturing?
What story does your brand tell?
Consider the narrative behind your brand. Is it about overcoming challenges, exploring new frontiers, or creating beauty?
Which archetypes resonate most with your brand’s story?
Match your brand’s story to the traits of different archetypes (e.g., The Hero for overcoming challenges, The Explorer for new frontiers).
4. Assessing Your Competitive Landscape
What archetypes are your competitors using?
Analyse your competitors to see what archetypes they embody. This can help you differentiate your brand.
What makes your brand unique compared to others in your industry?
Identify your unique selling points and how they align with certain archetypes.
How can your brand stand out in its market using archetypal characteristics?
Determine how you can use archetypal traits to carve out a distinctive identity.
5. Aligning with Your Brand’s Visual and Verbal Identity
What visual elements (colours, symbols, images, patterns or fonts) align with your brand’s personality?
Choose visual cues that reflect your archetype (e.g., warm colours for The Lover, rugged imagery for The Explorer).
What tone of voice should your brand use in communications?
Decide on a tone that matches your archetype (e.g., authoritative for The Ruler, playful for The Jester).
How does your brand’s current look and feel support or contradict its archetype?
Evaluate your existing branding materials to ensure consistency with your chosen archetype.
6. Projecting into the Future
Where do you see your brand in the next 5-10 years?
Think about your long-term vision and how your brand’s archetype will support this growth.
How will embodying this archetype help your brand adapt to changes in the market?
Consider how your archetype will guide your brand through future challenges and opportunities.
Putting these Questions into Action:
A tech startup might ask, "Do we want to be seen as innovators and pioneers (The Creator), or as reliable problem-solvers (The Sage)?"
A local bakery might ask, "Do we want to evoke feelings of warmth and care (The Caregiver), or joy and delight (The Jester)?"
Next Steps:
Once you’ve answered these questions, compare your responses with the traits of the 12 brand archetypes. Choose the archetype that aligns best with your brand's values, audience, and goals. This alignment will help you build a cohesive and impactful brand identity.
Feel free to use or share these questions as a starting point for a deeper exploration of your brand’s identity. The clearer you are about your brand's archetype, the more effectively you can communicate and connect with your audience.
Wrapping Up
Brand archetypes are more than just theoretical concepts; they are powerful tools that designers use to shape the way a brand is perceived and experienced. By understanding and applying these archetypes, we create brands that are visually aligned with their messaging.
Whether you're starting a new brand or looking to refresh an existing one, consider the archetype that best reflects your essence. Embrace it, to help your brand’s personality shine through every touchpoint.
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