Brand archetypes are universal qualities, characters and stories that humans can relate to or have a universal understanding of. They bridge the gap between left brain logic and right brain artistry and intuition. They bring meaning and understanding often beyond what words are able to achieve.
When it comes down to the nuts and bolts of it, archetypes bring a human element to business.
There are 12 primary archetype families as defined by Swiss psychologist, Carl Jung, along with dozens of others that continue to be explored by other psychologists and brand strategists. I am currently studying 60 different archetypes—and it's so fascinating!
The 12 Primary Archetype Families:
Caregiver
Citizen
Creator
Innocent
Explorer
Hero
Jester
Lover
Magician
Rebel
Sage
Sovereign
Real World Examples
I recently launched a personal project and challenged myself to pick 12 archetypes and pair them with local businesses and/or business leaders in our community. I then posted them in a series of videos on Instagram. It's important to note that most of these businesses are not my clients, and I'm deciding their archetype based on my outside observation. This is simply for fun to help me learn archetypes on a deeper level.
The Healer and The Artist
The Everyman and The Child
The Adventurer, The Rescuer, and The Jester
The Romantic, The Innovator, and the Rebel
The Sage and The Sovereign
How did I do?
Who or what businesses would you pair with each archetype?
I’m excited to continue diving deeper into archetypes and finding new ways to incorporate them into my brand process.