Do you have a new brand? Or are you looking to rebrand? You will want to dig deep into brand archetypes to really find the right voice for your brand.
There is much more to branding archetypes than you may think. Luckily, it is pretty fun and interesting. Figuring out the right archetype to use for your brand might be challenging at first, but do plenty of research on each archetype to get some sort of idea in your head.
Wait, What Are Brand Archetypes?
Maybe you are new to the game and not quite sure what brand archetypes are. No worries! This is a well-known framework developed by Carl Jung theorizing that humans use symbolism to understand complex concepts.
With brand archetypes, brands can easily identify their customers using 12 different categories. Each category exhibits personality traits to help brands connect better with their audience.
Using Brand Archetypes
Once you establish which archetype to use (don’t worry, we will briefly explain the archetypes below), it is helpful to attend a branding workshop with a digital marketing agency to start adding the archetype to your marketing plan.
Once you have found the top one or two, now is the time to make a brand guide to follow. This guide will include a number of things to help achieve the right voice for your brand.
A really comprehensive guide is going to really give your brand a unique flair. Use the right language, colors, and fonts in everything – your website, business cards, and other marketing materials. You want the archetype to really represent your brand so that when the audience hears or sees something similar to the archetype, your brand sticks out.
The 12 Brand Archetypes
Innocent
Everyman
Hero
Outlaw
Explorer
Creator
Ruler
Magician
Lover
Caregiver
Jester
Sage
So, where do you even start?
Let’s explore the different types and talk about some well-known examples to really get an idea.
- The caregiver is nurturing and protecting. The colors to use are pastel colors and the font should be simple. Brands that use the caregiver include Huggies and Pampers.
- The creator uses imagination and innovation while inspiring. Fonts and colors are bold and fun. Computer brands such as Adobe and Apple use the creator as well as Crayola.
- The everyman is just as it sounds, represents everyone! The archetype thrives on friendliness, support, and equality. Colors and fonts are calm and also simple, similar to the caregiver. Old Navy and Target are just a couple of brands who use the everyman in their marketing.
- The explorer is adventurer and fearless. Using more natural colors and bold fonts, the explorer is still exciting. Jeep and outdoorsy brands are great fits for the explorer archetype.
- The hero is of course, bold, brave, and courageous. Colors and fonts are bold and bright. Brands like Gatorade and Powerade represent the hero archetype well.
- The innocent is youthful, wholesome, and happy. Spring and bright colors along with fun fonts are good to use. Aveeno and Dove are known for using the innocent archetype.
- The jester is just as it sounds, playful, fun, and humorous. Using bright colors and fun fonts work best with the mischievous jester. Brands like Old Spice and M&M identify well with this archetype.
- The lover is passionate and intimate. The archetype is fully committed and attracts with romantic colors such as reds and pinks while using delicate and sexy fonts. Victoria’s Secret is the number one brand that sticks out when thinking of the lover archetype.
- The magician is magical, spiritual, and powerful. Bright blues and pinks go well with fancy fonts. Disney and Dyson do very well with representing the magician archetype.
- The outlaw is independent and disruptive. Using bold colors such as oranges and reds along with bold fonts, the outlaw is known to be rebellious. Harley Davidson is a good brand to think of when using the outlaw archetype.
- The ruler tends to be reserved and strong while preferring order over chaos. The ruler uses basic colors and fonts, leaving the power to come from their images and wording. Louis Vuitton and other high-end fashion brands use the ruler archetype.
- The sage is full of knowledge and experience. Colors include neutral colors with hints of greens and fonts that are simple and elegant. Yoda is a perfect example of the sage archetype.
Remember, remain consistent and dedicated to your brand archetype. That is why you need to spend time finding the right one at the beginning of your branding journey.
Note: Pursho just acts as a publisher of this guest post.
