When Every Brand Wants to Be A Hero
Expanding the Way We Think About Brand Archetypes
Brand archetyping is fundamentally one of my favorite parts of the branding process. Bringing a brand to life through human characteristics and behavioral traits requires an active imagination and a natural penchant for fun and make-believe. When so much of what we do in branding is riddled with hard data, KPIs, and ensuring sufficient returns on our investments, saving room for the more colorful aspects of branding will always be a treat.
Most of today’s brand archetype formations originate from Carl Jung’s Archetype theory- a theory inspired by human behavior, retrofitted into the brand world. Jung believed that there are specific signs and symbols that are easily recognizable via human subconsciousness and he categorized them into behavioral archetypes. Today we use these archetypes in the brand world when we create and refine brand personas which originate from human behavior. Because of this, within the world of branding, to make a measurable impact brands must be known for more than just their message taking into account how they sound, what they look like, and the feelings they evoke in audiences they intend to appeal to.
Why Two Archetypes Are Better than One
There are 12 archetypes in total: Jester, Magician, Explorer, Hero, Innocent, Regular Guy, Nurturer, Sage, Ruler, Creator, Rebel, Lover.
While some strategists have different views on this, I believe that the best use of this model requires a minimum of two archetype assignments to ensure distinctive brand persona formations. This not only helps brands feel more human (as humans are often a complex mix of many traits), but it also helps them stand out from their categories which are often associated with specific archetypes themselves.
Take insurance for example.
For the most part, the insurance category in the past was information driven. It was associated with the “Sage” archetype based on the way it provided information needed to understand the category and make the right decisions. But a second, very prominent archetype also existed here: The Caregiver. With time, brands like Allstate (You’re in Good Hands), State Farm (Like a Good neighbor State Farm is There…) and Nation Wide (Nation wide is on your side…) embraced a more sentimental approach in their messaging. Eventually, a great majority of the insurance category became associated with a warm, supportive and nurturing tone used to convince consumers that insurance providers had their best interests in mind.
For a while, these two archetypes (Sage + Caregiver) carried the category until a new disruptor entered the fray: Geico. Geico’s less traditional take on insurance injected unexpected humor into an otherwise safe and mostly predictable category. The introduction of the Jester archetype created a shake up that would change the face of the insurance space as competitors followed suit, leaning into humor in their own ways. Catchphrases like “Discount Doublecheck” became synonymous with Brett Favre and playful antics. Progressive soon emerged as a key competitor with ads centering around an eccentric new, funny spokesperson- Flo. Humor, it seems, became the new way to stand out in a category that could sometimes feel like it took itself too seriously.
And then, there was Allstate, 2.0. The brand pursued an even higher shock value by evolving into the Rebel archetype and combining it with its own form of Jester in its now infamously mischievous Mayhem campaigns.
These archetype evolutions have helped to ensure creative distinction in the minds of consumers as each company transformed their brand voice to stand out from their original category archetype, the Sage.
Interestingly, as the insurance category has increasingly become a laugh factory filled with iconic and memorable mascots, companies like NJM are aiming to stand out in a different way by going back to basics. Its “No Jingles or Mascots” campaign could be signaling a future return to more Sage-like messaging for the insurance category.
A Case for the Least-Considered Archetypes
Despite the endless combinations of archetype groupings, I’m not sure Carl Jung could have predicted how his archetypes would impact brand managers desiring to be a part of more interesting brands.
Often, when refreshing or creating a new brand identity, it is common for brand managers to lean toward what they perceive to be the “sexier” archetypes of the wheel- the ones that feel more visionary and daring. This is likely because of a tension between the archetype(s) they wish the brand could be vs. the archetype(s) the brand actually is. For passionate brand managers, this is a tough road to navigate especially when every one wants the brand to be a Hero or Explorer brand.
I’ve always maintained that there is more of a need for the archetypes that on the surface, may feel less exciting. These are the very same archetypes that sit at the heart of who consumers are themselves- caregivers, regular people, and even innocent or child-like. It is these traits that are likely the most personable and therefore the archetypes that will resonate more deeply.
Take the Lover archetype for example- arguably my favorite of them all. While the name may inspire ideas like passion, the color red, sex or intimacy, this is only a limited, one-dimensional view of an archetype that has so much more to offer. Lover brands flourish in relationships with other people and often strive for togetherness as it “encapsulates all types of love including parental, friendships, familial, spiritual, and of course, romantic”. What some may view as a primal, sex-driven archetype it is, in actuality, an archetype that is motivated by human connection. Lover’s have an immeasurable passion for life which they strive to pass on to others. They are warm, and affectionate and their magic exists in their ability to make other people feel loved.
Conclusion
When choosing new archetypes or pursuing brand persona refreshers, keep the following in mind:
Reconcile How Your Audience Sees You with How You See Yourself
It is common for internal stakeholders to see their brands differently from consumers because often, the secret sauce to what makes the company special is lost in the archives of old brand books or spoken about within the organization, but rarely marketed to outside audiences. If internal stakeholders see the brand as a Rebellious Magician but consumers see the band as an Explorer, there is a need to figure out which aspects of the brand’s external messaging are missing the mark before choosing the right direction to move forward in.
Remain Consistent
Once a brand persona is developed, stay true to it. When brands veer too far from center customers have a difficult time remembering them, what they do and what they stand for. Using the same brand voice consistently over time is the key to becoming memorable. When choosing to update the brand persona, always keep the core archetype that makes your brand what it is and then pair it with an archetype that will make it stand out in more interesting ways.
Explore the Multiverse of Archetype Pairings
When refreshing or ideating a new brand persona marketers must fully flesh out all the ways an archetype can exist- both on its own and with other archetypes to strengthen it. The more marketing managers allow themselves to explore the full potential of archetypal pairings (as well as a prioritization of those pairings to indicate which archetype is more prominent than the other) the more they can find new identity spaces for their brand to exist in.
Have Fun and Don’t be Afraid to Play!
Use fun, personifying metaphors when exploring your brand persona in order to truly bring your brand to life. Ask yourself “Imagine you’re at a party and brand X walks into the room. Is it a man? A woman? Are they non-binary? What does the person look like? Is the person old or young? Did they bring anything to the party and if so, what?” and so on. The beauty of archetypes is the way in which each can be interpreted. Exercises like these can help you and your team develop a brand personality that has depth, substance and longevity in the marketplace.
Lastly, and I say this with passion, standing out from the category-archetype will always be a way to win, but choosing the seemingly less sexy option can be a more subtle and surprising way to make a mark.
