From Merlin to Harry Potter, Mary Poppins and Samantha in ‘Bewitched’, our obsession with everything magic comes from way back. Nevertheless, the Magician archetype is much more than a supernatural figure with a pointy hat and a wand. It is associated with transformation, dreams and change, as he believes that to make things happen we […]
Revolutionary, rebel, outlaw and even villain. The names associated with the archetype are not very flattering, but this doesn’t mean it has a negative approach. Think about how revolutionary minds are important to our society’s evolution and how ‘outsiders’ are irresistibly seductive. Honestly, who doesn’t like to break some rules every now and then? While […]
Courage, determination and strength. From Hercules to Superman, going through Luke Skywalker, and all the heroes from comics and fiction, the archetype embodies these values in an inspiring, admirable way. The Hero motivates us to overcome limitations, believe in ourselves, fight for noble causes and make the world a better place. Along courage comes a […]
The Sage believes that knowledge is never enough. Maybe it is one of the easiest archetypes to define since it is instantly associated with figures such as the professor, the specialist, the researcher, the detective or the “geek”. However, this search for knowledge has a deeper motivation as he thinks only the truth set us […]
A person that goes on a journey to find his own identity. That’s the perfect translation of the Explorer archetype. Freedom, independence and authenticity are amongst the most important values of those who identify with the symbol, besides a great urge for individualism and to be ‘himself’. The Explorer loathes the idea of conformity, of […]
Starting this week, I will talk about each of the 12 archetypes and their application to the fashion and beauty industries. Let’s begin with the Innocent! The Innocent is the optimist who believes in kindness, in the beauty of dreams and that everything always turns out fine. He is hopeful and aspire to live in […]
Replace the founder of a brand, especially when he is still alive, is one of the most challenging duties in terms of branding. Amongst the most recent and dramatic cases is Valentino. For 45 years, the designer was the heart and soul of the label, sharing with his clients – including icons as Jackie […]
Interested in reading more about archetypes and their application to branding strategy? Here goes a list of the essential titles about the subject. Enjoy! The Hero and The Outlaw – Margaret Mark and Carol S. Pearson: this is the “bible” of archetype branding and the first title that brought the subject up in a practical […]
In the last post, I talked about methodologies of archetype application and why I believe it’s better than traditional methods of brand identity building. If you have read about Chanel, Alexander McQueen, Ralph Lauren etc. and their respective archetypes (Lover, Creator, Ruler), must be wondering: what it means? So let’s go for it! Margaret Mark […]
It all started in 2011 when I was doing marketing consulting for some fashion brands back in Brazil. Most of them didn’t know who they were and only wanted to copy the market leaders. I tried to explain the importance of brand differentiation and used to build an ideal consumer profile, which I didn’t think […]