A Warrior or a Jester: all you need to know about brand archetypes

In this article, we’ll tell you about the Ruler, the Wizard, and the Warrior, but don’t expect fighting dragons, killing orcs or magic. Unless you have in mind a magical way of how emotionally connect your brand with your audience and stand out in the industry. That’s what brand archetypes do, and that’s what you will learn.

In this article we will tell you:

• what are the 12 brand archetypes
• how well-known brands use archetypes in their communication
• how to discover which archetype fits your brand and what mistakes to avoid when choosing one
• how to stand out in the industry through an archetype

If you already know what brand archetypes are, just keep scrolling 🙂

What are brand archetypes?

Archetypes are primordial patterns of characters, events or stories. They are commonly understood and deeply rooted in our collective consciousness and culture. Brand archetypes help clients to recognise and evaluate a brand’s character more quickly because they recall a particular hero or attitude familiar to them from ancient mythologies, books, movies, and stories. And from there, a path to evoke customers’ emotions, build connections, and stand out from the competition is attractively short.

Why are brand archetypes important?

Connection and differentiation – those are two keywords and the reason why you should use brand archetype. Archetypes let you create an immediate sense of familiarity between the audience and a brand. How? Each archetype described below has specific characteristics and personality to be communicated to the audience. Each of the archetypes carries a distinct language and expression style. Using them makes it possible to build brand consistency.

Moreover, brand archetypes let you stand out from the competition. We will tell you about that later in this article.

What are the 12 brand archetypes?

Experts in branding, marketing, psychology, anthropology, and other social sciences use the 12 archetypes created in 1940 by Swiss psychologist Carl Jung. We will now tell you about each of them.

To begin, take a look at the infographic below. It features all the archetypes divided into quadrants. Each refers to a different emotion. So, the archetypes in red colour refer to stability and are the opposite of those in dark brown colour, calling for change. Another axis of dichotomy is affiliation (orange) vs independence (green).

The Caregiver

The Caregiver is an altruist whose life mission is to help others. They are close to parental feelings and instincts. Always ready to make sacrifices. The Caregiver not only cares for others himself but also helps others to care for loved ones.

This archetype fits brands offering medical, health and care products and services. It is a good choice for different types of products for families.

Tone of voice: considerate, kind, courteous, encouraging, warm

Examples:

Nestle (note the word ‘nest’, associated with family). It products help parents provide healthy food for children.

Volvo – helps to ensure the family’s safety while driving.

Movie character: Mrs Weasley (Harry Potter)

The Creator

A brand with this archetype allows customers to create reality but also to control it. The Creator brand personality may be suitable for a brand that:

• promotes self-expression, gives customers choices and options, helps
• fosters innovation or is artistic in design
• is in the creative field, like marketing, public relations, the arts, or tech. innovation
• wants to differentiate itself from a “do-it-all” brand that leaves little room for the imagination

Tone of voice: descriptive, visual, symbolic

Examples:

Lego – the idea behind this brand is to unleash creativity and imagination in people.

Adobe – a brand that provides software for the creative industry.

Movie character: Willy Wonka (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)

The Ruler

The Ruler archetype helps clients to control (but also to maintain the status quo or regain something lost). This archetype often fits exclusive brands that allow people to emphasise their social status, but not only! An interesting example is the use of this archetype by producers of potency pills. Their names alone indicate this: Liderin, Permen King, Sil Control. They allow customers to return to the throne.

Tone of voice: sophisticated, firm, clear, authoritative

Examples:

Mercedes

Rolex

Movie character: Winston Churchill (Darkest Hour)

The Warrior

The warrior helps people achieve mastery, conquer the world, and overcome adversity. Is aware that achieving a goal requires hard work and training. Their voice is often motivating and confident.

Tone of voice: motivational, confident, determined

Examples:

Nike – the name of the goddess of victory. The brand’s main slogan, Just do it, calls for action, and the brand helps people push their limits with its products.

Powerade – another brand with a call to action: Get up. Stay up.

Duracell – enables greater achievement (it’s not about the client’s effort, but the help they receive).

Movie character: Mr. Miyagi (Karate Kid)

The Outlaw

The current state of matters upsets the outlaws. They want things to be different, so they try to overturn the world order and change it for the better. Believe that rules are made to be broken. The Outlaw doesn’t hesitate to mock opponents. Such a narrative fits perfectly with modern start-ups, which the main objective is to improve a particular part of reality. However, it is not the only one example. You will see later in this article how Harley-Davidson writes about itself.

Tone of voice: expressive, sincere, raw, honest

Examples:

Apple – encourages people to think differently and, by bringing pioneering products to market, openly stands up to the dinosaurs of the industry.

Uber – revolutionised transport.

Airbnb – revolutionised hospitality.

Movie characters: Robin Hood, Zorro, V (V for Vendetta)

The Wizard

The Wizards help people make their dreams come true, but it is sometimes unclear how they do this. They don’t call for revolution or hard work like Outlaw or Warrior. If your desire is to be fit, the brands with the Warrior archetype will offer you a gym or exercise equipment, while the Wizard will provide pills or supplements for weight loss. How does any of this work? Don’t ask! A magician never reveals his secrets!

The wizard brands also convince you that their product turns an ordinary moment into a magical one.

Tone of voice: expansive, charismatic, articulate, confident

Examples:

Dom Pérignon

Mastercard

Movie character: Gandalf

The Innocent

The Innocent helps people experience simple happiness. Brands with this archetype convince people that life can be beautiful, simple and enjoyable and doesn’t require any magic or effort. The Innocent brand values are security and predictability more than change and innovation. Often their voice is sentimental, referring to idyll and nature. This archetype is often used by food, eco and bio brands, but also by craft beers – made according to old brand principles that are not a concern. They talk about giving yourself pleasure.

Tone of voice: simple, brief, cheerful, optimistic

Examples:

Coca Cola

McDonalds

Nivea

Movie characters: all the Hobbits who never decided on a dangerous journey (The Lord of the Rings).

The Explorer

The Explorer is an individualist who craves a better world. Open spaces, forests and mountains are natural habitats for them. This archetype fits perfectly with brands that allow customers to feel free and express themselves.

Tone of voice: open, knowledgeable, casual

Examples:

Patagonia

North Face

Starbucks

Movie character: Indiana Jones

The Sage

With the wisdom they possess, The Sage enables others to understand the world better and make more informed decisions. They separate truth from illusion. The Sage is an archetype ideally suited to brands that communicate information, share expertise and strive for objectivity in the broadest sense. They also usually share a commitment to continuous learning, development and research.

Remember: just because a brand write blogs or how-to branded content does not mean that its archetype is The Sage.

Tone of voice: dignified, wise, curious, clever

Examples:

Google

TripAdvisor

Movie character: Yoda (Star Wars – but don’t speak like him! 😊 )

The Regular Guy (Everyman)

Also called: companion. They want to be themselves and help people to be the way they are. They don’t want to change them. This archetype is good for brands that represent everyday products at affordable prices. Their message is: be who you are, I will always be there for you.

Tone of voice: friendly, humble, empathetic, understanding

Examples:

Volkswagen

Nivea

Visa

Movie characters: Ron Weasley (Harry Potter), Samwise Gamgee (The Lord of the Rings)

The Lover

The Lover is an archetype associated with the beautiful, which is typical for cosmetic, jewellery and fashion brands. They appreciate beauty and sensuality. Love is extremely important to them, usually the romantic kind, but also the parental or friendship kind.

Tone of voice: tender, sensual, beautiful, emotional

Examples:

Victoria’s Secret

Magnum Ice Cream

Movie characters: Romeo and Juliet, Jack and Rose (Titanic)

The Jester

The Jester doesn’t mind serious matters. Prefers to joke and prank but makes sure you feel comfortable in their company. The Jester helps people to have fun, to create a good atmosphere.

Although unattractive at first glance, this archetype can be a good choice for brands that occupy the second position in a category and, by means of mockery, undermine the authority and complacency of the leader. The Jester is close to the Pepsi brand, which tries to fight the innocent Coca-Cola this way.

Tone of voice: humorous, witty, enthusiastic, self-ironic

Examples:

Doritos

Bud Light

Old Spice

MailChimp

Movie character: Donkey (Shrek)

Brand archetypes vs needs

Yes, we know there’s a lot of it. To make it easier for you to remember it all, let’s take a glance at what human needs a particular archetype responds to:

The Caregiver – care

The Creator – innovation

The Ruler – control

The Warrior – mastery

The Outlaw – liberation

The Wizard – power

The Innocent – safety

The Explorer – freedom

The Sage – understanding

The Regular Guy – belonging

The Lover – intimacy

The Jester – entertainment

Keep this in mind when considering what role your brand plays in the customer’s life.

How brand archetypes make you stand out

There are millions of brands and only 12 archetypes, so how can you stand out through them? First, an archetype is just a framework for a brand’s character, which needs to be complemented by personality characteristics, which there are already many of. You can define them later in your voice & tone to create a unique brand identity.

On top of that, when creating a brand image, look at your market segment. What archetypes do your closest competitors use? If they have all chosen one, it may be worth braving another so that customers see that your brand differs from the other companies in an industry.

Working out the brand archetype

As a branding agency, we work out brand archetypes together with our clients during workshops. We try to gather as much information about the brand as possible, also from inside the company, so that we do not rely only on declarations. The workshops occur when we are creating a new brand identity for clients or preparing a brand transformation strategy.  

At the same time, we try to go further to find the right characteristics for the brand, the way it communicates, or to compare the brand’s character to famous people.

Sometimes the brand is modest like Emma Watson, and sometimes confident and audacious like Kanye West. 

Of course, the client does not simply choose an archetype based on the one they like. No archetype is better than another. Matching is about analysing what the brand is (or what it wants to be) and seeing what archetype it corresponds to. 

In the case of rebranding, it is important to verify whether the brand has used an archetype at all so far and, if so, whether it still identifies with it.   

How to use brand archetypes in your communication?

Many brands make one of the most common storytelling mistakes. They put a product or service in the middle of the story and communication. Never do that! Your clients don’t want to listen about your brand, products or services. They want to hear about themselves.

So, imagine your client as a main movie character. According to Hitchcock, the plot should start with an earthquake, so your client encounters a terrifying obstacle that needs to be solved. Fortunately, at some point, the hero meets your brand – a side character – who will somehow help overcome obstacles. How precisely? Well, that is the critical question. This is the moment when you need to decide what kind of archetype your brand is.

One brand – one archetype

Remember: brand archetypes are part of a brand strategy, not a stand-alone tool. They must fit into the overall brand idea and align with the brand positioning, personality, and value proposition. Choose just one archetype and then complement it with different personality traits that will make the brand distinctive.

Lego – a Creator brand archetype example

Of course, the Creator archetype is the obvious choice for a manufacturer that provides building blocks for children and adults. However, the way Lego exploits this archetype in its communication and positioning is admirable. Just look at some of their mottos and slogans:

• Build Together
• Play on.
• Just imagine …
• Rebuild the world
• It’s a new toy every day
• What Will You Make?
• Inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow

LEGO language, more visual than descriptive, mainly refers to people’s creativity and imagination. It encourages children to let their creativity run wild to keep building their fantasy world endlessly. The brand communicates that number of possibilities are seemingly endless with LEGO and the only boundary is someone’s imagination.

Exactly the same messaging is visible in Lego’s most well-known campaigns. Their 2017 “Build the Future” ad campaign won three silver Lions at Cannes. It featured children constructing their dream careers through Legos.

The boundlessness of creativity is also evident in “Rebuild the world”. In the commercial for this campaign, we get to see a world full of possibilities. It shows how LEGO helps create a more free, fun and above all playful world.

But the Creator archetype can also be seen everywhere on the Lego website starting from product descriptions. See those below, which call on users for creative activity:

Harley-Davidson – an Outlaw brand archetype example

The characteristics of the Outlaw are an expressive voice calling to rebel and demanding change. This is exactly what a Harley-Davidson stands for. Take a look at how they write about themselves on a company website:

‘In 1903, out of a small shed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, four young men lit a cultural wildfire that would grow and spread across geographies and generations. Their innovation and imagination for what was possible on two wheels sparked a transportation revolution and lifestyle that would make Harley-Davidson the most desirable motorcycle and lifestyle brand in the world. Today, we continue to define motorcycle culture and lifestyle, evoking soul-stirring emotion reflected in every product and experience we deliver – like we have for well over a century and will for generations to come.’

Site: https://www.harley-davidson.com/gb/en/index.html

The brand inspires people to get out of their repetitive daily lives and experience the thrill of the outdoors. It appeals to their audience’s inner outlaw.

The company slogan, “Screw it. Let’s ride”, represents liberation from the strict constraints of society.

The rebel spirit is also evident in their ads.

Common mistakes when choosing a brand archetype

Some people deny the relevance of archetypes. This is likely due to their misuse. See the most common mistakes and avoid repeating them.

Don’t focus on the archetype’s name

‘Who wants to be a jester or a regular guy when they can be a warrior or a wizard?’ – thinking in such a category is a serious mistake. Yes, some archetype names sound better, but that’s not a point! When choosing an archetype, focus on what character appeals to your brand and your role in customer relationships.

Don’t make your choice dependent on other brands

When describing a particular archetype, most guides (even ours) tend to mention globally known brands. This is mainly because every single reader knows these examples and associates how they communicate. However, this can lead to a situation where you are unnecessarily comparing yourself to these major players. It’s absolutely ok for a small company selling cutlery or matches to be the Ruler. Don’t worry that Rolex or Rolls-Royce also uses this archetype.

Don’t combine several brand archetypes

Combining several archetypes misses the point and is an escape from deciding what character framework a brand needs. If you have to, choose a maximum of two, but provided they are from the same quadrant (see infographic at top) and one of the archetypes is clearly dominant.

Don’t communicate to clients what archetype you are

Brand archetypes are internal tools that allow you to communicate distinctively and to keep brand consistency. Only these communications are supposed to operate on your customers’ subconsciousness and allow them to easily decode your brand’s character.

Fun fact: do you know how long it takes to figure out what archetype the donkey from Shrek is? One minute from his appearance on screen. Conclusion: you don’t have to tell the audience everything directly.

Archetype doesn’t mean how you treat the customer

Just because you provide good customer service doesn’t imply that your archetype is The Caregiver. Instead, think about what role your brand, product or service plays in your customers’ lives.