What are the 12 brand archetypes? – How to tell your brand story authentically

Branding shouldn’t be wishy-washy. There’s rhyme, reason and science to telling the right brand story.

Chances are when you hear the word “brand” a few big names will pop into your head. That’s the power of branding; it makes an impression on us and cuts out a little niche in our subconscious to make itself at home. That’s just down to the way we humans are. We’re a commercial species, constantly looking for new ways to spend our hard-earned cash and we’re hugely susceptible to the mind games big brands play.

What’s more, we’re a species addicted to stories and narratives. This isn’t lost on the biggest brands, who sit at the forefront of our minds simply because of the compelling stories they tell.

Inescapable brands

It’s fair to say that brands are bound inextricably to every part of our lives. Every purchase we make, a brand is part of the story stretching from the product itself, right back through the supply chain to the raw materials. From the minute we wake up, to the minute we go to sleep, we’re confronted by brands, their stories and their messages.

In this blog, we’re going to look at some of the magic behind brands and how they effectively tell stories that piggyback on our subconscious. We’ll explain how brands fit into one of 12 brand archetypes and how you can figure out which one applies to your company. Perfect if you’re looking for the magic formula that will help you craft a compelling brand story for your business.

Let’s get scientific

You might be surprised to hear that the 12 brand archetypes weren’t concocted by a marketer. Brand archetypes are, in fact, based on the Jungian archetypes. A pioneering psychoanalyst in the early 20th century, Carl Jung defined his archetypes as universal primal symbols and images that derive from the collective unconscious.

It’s these Jungian archetypes that have found a place in modern thinking around branding and marketing. The idea is these archetypes can be used to anchor a brand to an idea embedded in the conscious and subconscious mind of humanity.

The jury is out on whether Jung was on the money with his ideas, but what we do know is that they can be very powerful when applied to brands. Let’s look at each in turn.

The Sage

We value good advice and intelligence. We look to the wise and the thoughtful to guide us in times of need and deeply value expertise when it comes to the things we care about. It's this notion that motivates the Sage archetype

Sage brands deal in knowledge and good information. They gather data, share knowledge and relentlessly pursue the truth. The sage is cerebral and intellectual, bestowing wisdom, enlightenment and insight to their target audience.

Sage brands

Think brands that pursue the truth or give you the facts. Think news organisations like the BBC, search engine superpowers like Google, or educational publishers like Oxford University Press.

The Innocent

Something is invigorating about youth and positivity. Before we all got so old and jaded, we bounced around with a desire to cut out our place in the world, and to have fun while doing it. It’s this exuberance that is captured by the innocent archetype.

Overflowing with youthful optimism, innocent brands evoke freedom, happiness and a glass half full philosophy. Often fastidious about who they work with and governed by their strong values, they have a reputation for authenticity, trust and leaving a positive mark.

Innocent brands

As the name suggests, Innocent smoothies exhibit all the characteristics of the innocent (funny that!). And they’re in good company; anti-animal-testing cosmetic brand Lush, skincare brand Dove and toy brand Build-a-bear are all Innocent archetypes too.

The Explorer

For many of us, there’s something incredibly enticing about new experiences. Not satisfied with the humdrum of the every day, we crave novelty and new knowledge.

As the name suggests, an explorer is a brand with adventure on its mind. The explorer is extroverted and craves new experiences to slake its thirst for novelty and discovery. Always ambitious and pioneering in the way they do business, their products and services encourage new experiences, excitement and a propensity to take the road less travelled.

Explorer Brands

Outdoor brands like The North Face, Timberland and Patagonia are all about getting out into the wilderness, experiencing new things and giving you the equipment you need for adventure.

The Ruler

Kings, queens and emperors are society roles as old as time. From myths and legends to present day books and stories, the concept of sovereign rulers reigns over our subconscious.

Brands in the ruler archetype are known as purveyors of luxury, wielders of control and authoritative voices. Known for their superior products and service, they’re respected as the standard in their respective areas, they’re disciplined, ordered and leaders in their fields.

Ruler brands

Think the best in their respective industries. Rolex, Apple, and John Lewis are all brands that exude the Ruler archetype. Renowned for quality, high ticket prices and being the standard all competitors must live up to, they find a loyal target audience through prestige and authority.

The Creator

Whether it's musicians, writers or some other form of artist, our society puts a lot of value on creative endeavours. We revere our musical heroes, deify our best writers and plaster our favourite actors across all our media platforms. This love of creativity goes to the core of what it is to be human. That’s why the creator archetype exists.

Creator brands have an insatiable desire to craft beautiful things that have meaning to their owners. From the process of making the product, right through to the end result, creators take pride and pleasure in every single step. Driven by design, they create things that people want to own and thrive when allowed to fully express themselves without feeling stifled.

Creator brands

Lego is a toy company that thrives on creativity and they look to pass that creativity on to their consumers. Providing a product that can be built, broken down and build into something completely different, they’ve captured the attention of children and adults alike for generations.

The Caregiver

It's obvious why we all put such a high value on caregivers. If we’re lucky, we’re lovingly cared for by our parents before going on to care for our own children when the time comes. At a basic level, every human wantsto be cared for in some way. While brands are no replacement for this basic human need, they can piggyback on the sentiment.

Caregiver brands are all about caring for and protecting others. Going out of their way to make sure their customers/clients are taken care of, they’re governed by empathy, altruism and compassion. Your wellbeing is their priority.

Caregiver brands

Brands with the nurturing characteristics caregivers are known for include: Mamas and Papas, the charity MacMillan, and Volvo. While a car make might seem like an off caregiver, Volvo has built a reputation for keeping you safe with industry-leading safety technology.

The Magician

What’s life without a little magic? From books to computer games the notion of magic runs right through our culture. As children, we’re in awe of the wild and wonderful and as adults, we chase our dreams, both in terms of career and family.

There’s nothing every day or boring about magician brands. They’re built on imagination, wonder, and inspiration. They offer you a route to your wildest dreams and something not easily captured with a simple product. Often taking the form of experiences or a service, magician brands are adept at conjuring feelings you can’t get from more straightforward brand archetypes.

Magician brands

Over the years, Disney has had several slogans. Their previous tag line being, “Where dreams are made of”. Disney is a perfect example of the magician brand. Across their films, theme parks and toy range, they offer youthful magic that inspires and enraptures.

The Hero

As a society, we’re obsessed with heroic exploits. From real-world heroes putting their life on the line to protect others, to the fictional superheroes on the big screen, heroes are front and centre in our culture. People aspire to be heroes and give respect to those who perform heroic acts. It’s no wonder so many brands fit the hero archetype.

Hero brands embody the warrior spirit, rising to the challenge of leaving their mark on the world and leaving it a better place. Characterised by self-discipline, hard work and selfless dedication, they are the perfect archetype for sportswear brands or for any industry where there are big challenges to tackle.

Hero brands

“Just do it” – One of the most recognisable brand slogans ever created. Nike is a perfect embodiment of the hero brand archetype. With an emphasis on athletic achievement, self-discipline and conquering the odds, Nike speaks to its target audience in a language that motivates and drives action.

The Outlaw

Let’s be honest, we all love an antihero. Whether it's Tony Soprano or Villanelle, our collective culture is dominated by emblems of resistance, revolution and rule-breaking.

The outlaw brand archetype capitalises on our thirst for these characters. Sometimes, we don’t want to play by the rules. Outlaw brands thrive on revolution, turning their back on the established status quo and going their own way. Often attracting a cult following, these brands break the mould and blaze a new path forwards for their industries.

Outlaw Brands

When craft beer aficionados Brewdog burst onto the scene, they did so with an anarchic message; The big breweries were putting out mass-produced beer that compromised on quality and taste. Their way was a different way. A better way, where quality and taste were pursued without compromise. This anti-establishment edginess was characterised in subversive beer names like Punk IPA and Dead Pony Club. It worked for them, as now they’re one of the biggest names in the craft beer industry.

The Lover

Love is a universal human emotion. From our earliest development, we’re a species defined by our relationships with others. One of the primary motivators behind everything we do, love is a vehicle for much of human happiness.

The lover brand, as the name suggests, plays on love’s central role in our collective culture. Lover brands cleverly encourage you to associate their products and services with powerful emotions, luxury and sensuality. They might even go as far as to suggest their product or service could help you find love.

Lover brands

A classic example of the lover brand comes in the form of Hallmark cards, a company dedicated to helping you capture the perfect message to give to your loved ones. A slightly different example is Haagen Dazs, whose sensual imagery conjures feelings of intimacy and indulgence.

The Jester

Remember the guy at school who could always get a laugh? Much to the teacher’s chagrin, being able to tickle someone’s funny bone is a powerful tool. Every human on earth likes to have a bit of fun. It’s this notion that gives the Jester brand its power.

Jester brands find their power in their ability to get a laugh out of their target audience, instil some fun into the world and poke fun at things in a not too serious way. In a world where many brands take themselves all too seriously, this ability to poke fun at yourself and others is not just endearing but a way to set your brand apart from the competition.

Jester brands

Irn Bru has earned a reputation for their leftfield TV spots and their tongue in cheek attitude to life. Ben and Jerry’s go one step further, injecting humour into their product names like, “Jamaican me Crazy”, and exotic play on words for their West Indian inspired sorbet.

The Regular Person

The notion of every man or every woman is well understood in film and anything with a narrative structure. Why? Because there’s comfort in familiarity, and it's relatable to a wide audience.

If you’re going for a broad spectrum of appeal, it sometimes pays to be a bit of an everyman. That’s where the regular person brand archetype comes in. Perhaps one of the most difficult to get right, a regular person brand looks to connect with its target audience on broad commonalities and down-to-earthness.

Regular person brands

From a male perspective, brands like Jacamo try to connect with men on quite broad terms. While their target market is bigger gents, they keep their message simple. Decent clothes for decent blokes (or something approaching that). Likewise, Jack Daniels exudes the everyman with a simple story about their humble beginnings.

How understanding the 12 brand archetypes can help your business

In case you haven’t clocked it, there are obvious benefits to fulfilling one of these brand archetypes. These archetypes are innately attractive to people. They satisfy certain criteria that people look for in their life, whether that’s love, adventure, a sense of wonder, or any of the themes covered by the 12 archetypes.

By building your brand around one of them, you’re essentially making use of a pre-built route into your target market’s mind. When you do this, you insert yourself into their hopes and desires, putting you in a perfect position to convert them into paying customers/clients.

How to find out what archetype your company’s brand is.

There are many free tests available on the internet. These can be a good starting point in beginning to understand your business and the brand archetype that works best for you. However, to make the most of your brand, you need to get to know your business and your target market deeply.

By getting to grips with every part of your business, by understanding the motivations of your target audience and by establishing the benefits you bring to them, you’ll put yourself in a position to purpose build your brand from the ground up, all with your target market in mind.

This is where a branding/marketing agency can pay dividends. Just as your expertise lays in whatever it is you do, a branding agency’s expertise lies in building a story and narrative around your brand to help you engage with and entice your target market. It's like everything. You could have a go at fixing your car, but a mechanic would likely do a much more thorough and reliable job.

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So there you have it – the 12 brand archetypes each business fits into. If you’re looking for an agency to help you develop the perfect brand for your target market, give Luma a call and we’ll help you develop a story that grows your audience, extends your reach and makes you more money.