The magic of Archetypes in Brand Design

Sep 20

Hi there, I see you.

Ever heard of Archetypes? If you’ve ever watched a movie or read a book you’ll be familiar with what they are, even if you didn’t know what they’re called.

Archetypes are a fascinating part of our collective subconscious. They’re the stereotypes we picture then we think of The Mother, The Rebel, The Healer, The Sage. Pretty sure you just had some sort of image or feeling come up when you read those words, right? That’s an archetype. It’s a way to describe the consistent & predictable qualities of an energy, character or person that we can all recognise across time, space & cultures.

Think of the last movie you watched. Think of the characters. Were there any standout characters that fit neatly into a particular personality box? A super easy example is The Hero. A lot of movies will have some version of The Hero archetype, like…

Classical Hero: Luke Skywalker
Epic Hero: Aquaman
Everyman Hero: Bilbo Baggins.

They usually start out unaware of their abilities, then go through a series of challenges, learn and grow and finally triumph at the end to save the day.

Where did the concept of Archetypes come from?

The concept of archetypes was introduced by Ancient Greek philosopher Plato and later popularised by Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung in the early 1900’s. Around the same time, Viennese psychologist & marketing expert Dr Ernest Dichter starting applying archetypal concepts to marketing and helped develop the idea of a brand image.

What do they have to do with Brand Design?

Archetypes are pretty relatable because they’re a part of our subconscious, that’s where they exist. There are parts of each archetype that will look & feel familiar to most people in some way. Brand design is about creating an identity for a business that’s recognisable to the people you want to attract, which goes way beyond simply designing a logo & choosing some colours.

Tapping into Archetypes can significantly help in brand design by providing a deep, relatable foundation for a brand's personality and messaging, allowing it to connect with consumers on an emotional level by tapping into universal human desires and aspirations represented by each archetype, ultimately leading to a more impactful and recognizable brand identity; essentially, by choosing an archetype, a brand can create a consistent and meaningful story that resonates with their target audience.

Choosing an Archetype for your brand makes it easier to make decisions about the visual direction & voice of a brand. Your business might be an organic skincare line for tweens & teens. The people most likely to buy it might be their parents or grandparents, and they want something that nurtures & protects their loved one’s skin through the transition through puberty, so your archetype might be The Caregiver.

What kind of look do you think fits in with The Caregiver personality? Probably not black & red & sharp boxy fonts.

How do you think the Caregiver brand would speak on their social media & advertising? What would their product photography look like?

Other ways Archetypes are helpful in business…

Helps you to identify characteristics of your ideal client & I cover this in the Discovery Phase of my creative process. Which archetype is your ideal client? Are they in the light or the shadow? Which archetype do they WANT to be & how can you help them get there?
Helps you have some separation between your personal preferences & what’s best for your business. Quite often the the things you like for yourself might not actually be the best fit for your ideal client, and sometimes they are completely contradictory. Your business becomes a seperate entity with it’s own energy & needs & personality. Having a clear brand archetype help you to see your business for what it is and what it needs to be.
Gives you clearer messaging. A Sage archetype will speak differently than a Hero archetype. The language & nuances & communication styles will be different. Just like each person in your life speaks differently. Once we have a clear archetype it makes it easier to decide how to write your website copy, how to communicate in networking groups & most importantly how to speak to your ideal client in a way that lands.