The key in doing so successfully is to create your brand identity and boost your brand awareness and brand recognition with the help of archetypes.
It all starts with brand storytelling.
Your brand only has a few seconds to capture the attention of your consumers, so you need to do something to make your brand, not like the others and stand out among the competition.
👉🏼 The most efficient way to do this is by using archetypes.
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Brand Recognition 😍
The first step to getting your brand noticed is to develop brand recognition.
This is when consumers identify your brand based on visuals.
You want your brand to be recognizable to your audience simply based on your logos, slogans, colors, and jingles, which will help familiarize your brand and eventually put you a step above the competition.
Think of the brand Nike. When you hear the words “Just Do It” or see the Nike logo, you automatically identify the brand as the athletic gear company.
Nike has done a perfect job with brand recognition. We all easily recognize their slogan and logo.
Brand Awareness 💁🏻♀️
To build an even stronger connection with your audience and take brand recognition to the next level, focus on brand awareness.
You want consumers to recognize your brand. You want them to be aware of precisely who you are and what you do.
Luckily, this can easily be done with compelling storytelling.
A strong connection starts with consumers being aware of what your brand can do for them.
For example, the brand Band-Aid. When you need a bandage, the first thing that comes to mind is Band-Aid.
Not only do you recognize their logo, but you are also aware that the brand is there to offer you bandages and care when needed. In return, you’re most likely to choose this brand specifically.
Brand Identity 💁🏾
Lastly, it’s time to incorporate the brand recognition and brand awareness you’ve created to create a brand identity fully.
Being clear and concise with your visual branding and content helps create the storytelling you need to tell your past, accurately represent your present, and continue to grow and plan your future.
Did you know that using archetype will help your brand save time and money?
You will spend less time worrying about how you want to represent your brand, helping you focus on the impact of your brand and the task at hand.
Plus, you won’t have to worry about spending money on extra resources to help promote your brand. Archetypes help you tell your brand’s story effortlessly yet effectively.
What Are Archetypes? 📝
According to Carl Jung, archetypes are:
“Forms or images of a collective nature which occur practically all over the earth as constituents of myths and at the same time as individual products of unconscious origin.”
As humans, we all have basic desires.
To achieve these desires, Carl Jung developed the concept of archetypes. These archetypes are defined as universal symbolism that is unconsciously and innately understandable by all humans.
From wanting to feel powerful to belong, these desires are different for everyone. 12 basic archetypes can help humans relate to these desires.
These universal themes or characters are all around us, in literature and movies, and even branding.
Using archetypes in your brand can help enact these desires, making your brand more relatable.
Using archetypes in your marketing helps you decide which colors, fonts, and words should be used to represent your brand.
All of these things play a role in making a lasting impression on consumers.
Now you know WHY you need to use Archetypes. The next step is to find the right archetype for your bran
To help get your mind start focusing on archetypes, let’s look at the 12 different archetypes you can use in brand storytelling and some examples to give you a better idea.
The 12 Archetypes 👨🏽💻
1. The Sage 👨🏽🦳
The Sage archetype is known to be full of guidance and knowledge. This archetype seeks to understand the truth and promote free thinking.
Often known as the expert, they use relevant information to make informed decisions.
The Sage’s core desire is to use intelligence to discover the truth and understand the world.
Brands that should use the Sage archetypes include those who provide expertise and encourage others to think like CNN, Google, and the Discovery Channel.
2. The Innocent 😇
The Innocent archetype searches for happiness and purity, always finding the good in things.
This archetype looks to seek fulfillment in the moment and fears doing anything wrong.
Brands who provide a simple answer to a problem or are associated with goodness, morality, and nostalgia should use the Innocent archetype for their brand storytelling.
Examples include Dorothy from Wizard of Oz, Forrest Gump, and wholesome skincare brands such as Dove or toy brands like Toys R Us.
3. The Explorer 🧗🏽♂️
The Explorer is bold and adventurous. The archetype explores the world while also trying to find themselves and doesn’t like to feel empty or trapped.
The Explorer likes to maintain their independence and is constantly seeking something better for a more fulfilling life.
Brands that offer products to help people feel free or express their individuality benefit from using the Explorer archetype for their brand storytelling.
Examples include Indiana Jones and outdoor brands like Jeep and Red Bull.
4. The Outlaw 🦹🏻
This archetype goes against the grain. The Outlaw archetype thinks for themselves and uses their resourcefulness to change the world and resist injustice.
The archetype looks to break the rules and believes in disruptive change.
Often known as the rebel, the goal of this archetype is to destroy what is not working and gain radical freedom.
The Outlaw archetype should be used by brands that offer products to help retain values that prevailing ones often threaten. Examples of this archetype include Zorro and brands like Harley Davidson and MTV.
5. The Magician 🧙🏽
The Magician is upbeat and believes that anything can happen. This archetype believes in growing and transforming with the power of magic.
The Magician’s goal is to make dreams come true by developing a vision and truly living it.
Brands that offer products or services which promise a transformation to the customer or help expand their consciousness should use this archetype in their brand storytelling.
Examples of the Magician archetype include Merlin the Wizard and brands like Disney, MAC Cosmetics, and Dyson.
6. The Hero 🦸🏻♀️
The Hero is honorable and powerful, always saving the day with confidence. They desire to prove everyone’s worth through courage and motivation.
The Hero is all about positive change and acting courageously.
Brands offer products to help people perform at their best, and brands that offer solid products or services that help do a tough job efficiently and well.
Examples of this archetype include Captain America, the Rock, and Batman and brands like Nike, The American Red Cross, and Duracell.
7. The Lover ♥️
This archetype is sensitive and likes to please others with devotion and passion. The Lover has a desire to connect and interact with others.
Their goal is to create relationships and experiences with people and those they love.
That is why brands that help people find love or friendship and fosters beauty, such as cosmetic brands, use the Lover archetype.
Examples of the Lover archetype include Marilyn Monroe, movies like Titanic, and beauty brands like Lancôme and Chanel.
8. The Jester 🤡
The Jester is all about having fun and enjoying life with laughter. This archetype looks to lighten up the moment and interact with others without worrying about what everyone thinks.
Their main goal is to live and enjoy life in the moment.
The Jester archetype is used by fun-loving organizations and brands that help people feel like they belong and promote a good time.
Examples of the Jester archetype include movies such as Ace Ventura, characters like the Muppets, and brands like Old Spice, Doritos, and Geico.
9. The Everyman 🧔🏽
The Everyman archetype wants to feel included. This archetype wants to connect and be understood, no matter what.
The Everyman represents the commoner and those who want to be part of a group.
Brands that help people feel like they belong and offer standard products that are used in everyday life use the Everyman archetype.
Examples include Bilbo Baggins from Lord of the Rings and brands like Target, Ikea, Covergirl, and the Gap.
10. The Caregiver 🤗
The Caregiver is caring and generous, always looking to protect others from harm.
The nurturing archetype is moved by compassion and generosity, with a desire always to help others.
Customer service brands, non-profit causes, charitable activities, and those in the educational industry use the Caregiver archetype for their brand storytelling.
Examples of this archetype include Mary Poppins, health care brands, and brands like Johnson and Johnson, Campbell’s Soup, and Pampers.
11. The Ruler 👑
The Ruler archetype is a leader and loves order.
This archetype is powerful and prefers to be in charge.
The Ruler takes control of every situation by taking responsibility for life and avoiding chaos as best as brands who offer high-status products that influential people use to enhance power use the Ruler archetype.
Examples include Don Corleone from the Godfather, music artists Jay-Z and high-end brands like Rolex, British Airways, and Mercedes Benz.
12. Creator 👤
The Creator is self-sufficient and loves to transform and create new things. This archetype exerts control by creating art and crafting something new.
They are all about self-expression and taking charge of innovation.
Brands that encourage self-expression and provide customers with choices use the Creator archetype. Examples include movies like Charlie and Chocolate Factory, people like Andy Warhol and Pablo Picasso, and brands like Crayola, Apple, and Adobe.
👉🏼 It can take some time to decide which archetype best represents your brand.
Once you do find the right archetype for your brand, remain dedicated and consistently use this archetype to connect with customers and tell your brand’s story.
Archetypes Are All Around Us 👀
Believe it or not, archetypes are all around us.
Once you start looking for archetypes, you will start to notice that many brands use archetypes to tell their story.
Some brands use archetypes for brand storytelling, some brands channel archetypes for a specific marketing campaign. Meaning, they may not always use that archetype, but they use it to stand out in some of their advertising.
To learn more about archetypes, start to look out for them. But don’t just look for brands using archetypes.
Expand the search, from characters in literature to real-life people, every person and brand represents one of the 12 archetypes.
For example, William Shakespeare often used the Ruler archetype in his works, from King Lear to Othello. They all believed that power was the only thing that mattered. However, Shakespeare did use the Hero archetype with his character Beowulf.
Other famous literary characters that portrayed the Hero archetype were Harry Potter and Katniss from the Hunger Games. When it comes to the Innocent archetype, this was accurately portrayed by Snow White in the well-known Disney story.
As we mentioned, real-life people can also represent archetypes.
Charlie Chaplin is the perfect example of the Jester. He brought joy to others’ lives through his clever work. Keanu Reeves represents the Innocent archetype through his easy-going lifestyle and always doing what is best for others.
When it comes to the Sage archetype, the Dalai Lama and Albert Einstein stick out.
Einstein always used his knowledge to inform the world better and left his intelligence as his legacy.
The Caregiver archetype is best represented by people like Mother Theresa and Princess Diana. These two women are known for their generosity and always putting others before them, which is exactly what the Caregiver desires to do.
As you can see, archetypes do surround us.
Once you start paying more attention to archetypes, the options are endless and can help with your brand storytelling.
If you are still struggling, you can use the expertise of a top branding agency like Ivio Agency to help get you started with a comprehensive branding workshop.