Why your brand archetypes may not be the ones you think.

AND HOW TO HELP YOU CHOOSE THEM WITH EASY TIPS

If you’re familiar with brand or personality archetypes at all, it’s most likely because you’ve at least heard of Carl Jung’s 12 universal, mythic characters archetypes that he believed resided within our collective unconscious. The word “archetype” comes from the Greek concept of “original pattern,” and he believed that you could essentially group everyone’s personality types into 12 unique archetypes. They are as follows: the Ruler, the Creator/Artist, the Sage, the Innocent, the Explorer, the Rebel, the Hero, the Wizard, the Jester, the Everyman, the Lover, and finally, the Caregiver.

He also argued that each archetype, because of its very nature, has a particular passion or goal that drives them. These endeavors make sense; the Sage seeks knowledge whereas the Caregiver seeks to serve. Fairly straightforward stuff. It also made sense to brands and marketers, who quickly decided that they could ascribe one of these archetypes to their brands and give them a personality that would anchor their marketing.

There was, however, a pretty glaring flaw in this plan.

If you only have 12 archetypes to choose from, only one, perhaps two, will make sense for your brand. And if it makes sense for your brand then, I regret to inform you, it will make sense for every single one of your competitors as well. For example, everyone in every corner of the healthcare industry, from aestheticians to doctors and health insurances, will most likely use Caretaker as their archetype. And if you have the same archetype and essentially the same story as all your competitors (perhaps the entire industry) then how do you stand out?

Time, then, for something better.

A better way to harness the power of brand Archetypes.

We realized right away that 12 archetypes just weren’t enough. And if you stop to think about it, there are hundreds of different archetypes that appear over and over in movies, books, and songs throughout all of human history. In over 2,000 years of human history, you can spot these archetypes (some good, some evil) over and over if you start to pay attention. And your brain is exceptionally good at recognizing them, too, even if your conscious mind isn’t aware of it. You can usually identify a character within a few minutes of starting a book or watching a movie, unless the author/director wants to trick you with a plot twist.

You can probably even recognize that under the umbrella of the Hero, there are lots of different flavors. There are the unwilling heroes that get catapulted into a situation where they must discover the power within themselves, or a hero knight, whose sworn duty compels him to seek out and defeat evil.

What I did was put together a list of over 250 archetypes precisely for this reason. And I never assign a client a single archetype – instead, I find them a combination of 3-4 archetypes that together create a rich, three-dimensional brand with depth that is interesting, compelling, and attractive to audiences.

Do you know how many combinations you could get if you chose 3 archetypes out of 250?

The answer is a staggering 2,573,000.

I believe I’m not being too confident when I say that there is no chance that you will share your archetype combination with any of your competitors.

Learn more about how to live your brand.

So, how do you find the Right Archetype for your brand?

The key is to dig deeper into the narrative that already exists within your brand’s DNA. Ask yourself:

• • • What motivates your brand beyond just selling a product or service? Archetypes will have different values and motivations.
    • What kind of conflict do you or your customers constantly face? Are they trying to solve a problem, fix something within themselves, find something they are missing?
    • If your brand were the protagonist in a story, what journey would it be on with your audience?
    • How does your brand make customers feel, and what archetypal figure embodies that emotion?

By identifying these deeper themes, you can align with a combination of archetypes that genuinely reflects your brand’s essence — rather than just picking one from a predefined list because it “fits.”

Beyond the 12: What Other Archetypes Exist?

If we open the door to history, literature, and pop culture, we find hundreds of character archetypes that have shaped the way humans tell stories. Some of these include:

• • • The Maverick – Fearless, independent, and breaking all the rules (think Tony Stark/Iron Man)
    • The Oracle – A source of wisdom and foresight, guiding others toward enlightenment
    • The Trickster – Clever and mischievous, using wit to upend the status quo (think Loki)
    • The Guardian – A protector figure, ensuring safety and stability for others

Expanding your view of archetypes gives your brand more freedom to be itself without being forced into an overused mold.

The Magic Formula: 3 to 4 Unique Archetypes for your Brand

The magic now is to choose your unique combination of archetypes, with 3-4 being the sweet spot. I follow a rough formula that looks like this:

1. One archetype describes your role with your audience. Are you the Ally, their Guide, their Muse? Sometimes we only guide a customer towards a discovery within themselves, like Merlin to King Arthur, and are not the main character. This will set the tone for how you speak about your relationship with your audience.
2. One archetype describes your relationship to your craft. Are you an Artisan, crafting things thoughtfully and with time-honored techniques? Or are you an Alchemist, creating magic from parts that are unremarkable by themselves? I like to be creative with this one, it should describe how you view what you do and will set the tone for how you speak about your product or service.
3. One archetype describes your voice. In your communication, will you sound like the Mentor, wisely helping your audience, or will you sound like the Lover, creating and fostering relationships?

You can have two for any one of these categories, but a minimum of one is necessary. With all three in place, you can now start creating a brand voice and content that align with these parameters. It’s who your brand is, as a fully fleshed character with depth. So before you publish a piece of content you can ask yourself “is this something the Hero would say?” “Is this how the Amazon would convey this information or policy?” “If this action we’re about to take something a Mentor would do for his companions?”

Conclusion: Owning Your Brand’s Story Through Archetypes

Choosing the right combination of archetypes for your brand isn’t just about differentiation—it’s about creating a brand identity that feels inevitable. When your audience encounters your content, interacts with your messaging, or experiences your product or service, they should immediately feel something that aligns with who you are.

This is the power of a well-crafted brand story. It’s not about what you sell, but how you make people feel—and archetypes are the foundation of that emotional connection.

A brand without a clear identity is forgettable. A brand that leans into its unique archetypal DNA becomes something more: recognizable, magnetic, and impossible to copy.

So as you move forward, consider this:

• • • Does your brand feel like a fully realized character, or does it blend into the noise?
    • Is your messaging aligned with the true essence of your brand, or is it shaped by what you think you should sound like?
    • Are you telling a story that customers want to step into, or are you simply listing what you do?

When your brand’s archetypes are clear, decision-making becomes easier, storytelling becomes second nature, and marketing becomes more than just a tactic—it becomes an extension of who you are.

So, what’s your brand’s story? And more importantly, how will you tell it?