The Meaning of Marketing: The 12 Archetypes, Pt. 3
In our posts on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, we discussed six archetypal identities highlighted in The Hero and the Outlaw: Building Extraordinary Brands Through the Power of Archetypes. In this segment, we will spotlight the next three: the Regular Guy/Gal (the Everyman), the Lover, and the Jester. The driving motivation of these three is belonging and connection with other people.
The Regular Guy/Gal
Brands of the Regular Guy/Gal identity tout down-to-earth, no nonsense, reliable products or services. They believe people are enough as they are and channel their efforts towards affirming the ordinariness of life. They cater to the “Everyman” of society, the guy- or gal-next-door.
Gap is a great example of the Everyman identity when it is fully embraced. One needs to simply take a peek at their “Gift the Thought” 2019 holiday campaign to garner a sense of the brand’s values. Packed with ordinary moments and everyday people, “Gift the Thought” transforms the mundane by exposing its undercurrents of emotion and love.
The Lover
The Lover, on the other hand, seeks human connection not by blending into the crowd of “everyday people” but by standing out. Companies that offer services or products to make customers more attractive, emotionally competent, or sensually educated bear a Lover brand identity. Overt examples include Victoria’s Secret or Hallmark.
GODIVA chocolates, however, evokes the Lover identity by associating their sweets with sensual indulgence. From “Chocolate Never Felt So Good” to “Wonder Awaits,” GODIVA associates their chocolate with unique, sensual, and luxurious experiences. The origins of the company were even born out of a love story wherein founder Pierre Draps began creating the delicacies in order to satisfy his wife’s sweet tooth.
The Jester
Rather than try to fit in or make oneself more attractive, the Jester presents an unfiltered self to the world, “demonstrating a refreshing faith that it is possible to be truly oneself and be accepted and even adored by others.” Historically, the fool said what no one else could say and still kept his head; he disrupted cultural norms by dressing up sad or absurd situations with mockery and fun. The manifestation of the Jester identity often translates to satirical, comic, colorful or eye-catching ads and products. Good examples include Pepsi, who markets their product at the comedic expense of Coke, and Halo Top, the “ice cream for adults, because adults need a lot of ice cream.”
Halo Top illustrates the power the Jester archetype can bring to a brand when fully donned. All of Halo Top’s ads satirize ordinary, grown up topics—namely mortgages, dating, work, and love—for the sake of saying, “Adulting is hard, ice cream shouldn’t be.” The company is based on the notion that everyone wants to come home from a long day and eat a pint (or at least more than the measly recommended serving size) of ice cream without feeling guilty. Dotted in bright colors and demonstrating a dark humor through their ads, Halo Top fully embraces the Jester identity.
Check in tomorrow, when we will cover the last three brand archetypes: the Caregiver, the Creator, and the Ruler.