A brief history

Archetypes embody the ideal set of characteristics to perform a given role or “job” in our society. They are instantly recognizable because they are rooted in foundational social roles that made us useful to each other going back to our first societies. 

These useful behaviour codes have been passed down for millennia via storytelling. A consistent “cast” of narrative characters in myth, folklore and popular culture have become instilled in us such that we all instinctively recognize them at a system one level.

We can think of each Archetype as an algorithm for behaviour, or what we would call a Behaviour Code—how it walks and talks, its traits, skills, characteristic and belief system—in order to fulfill its purpose in the world rationally, emotionally and socially.

Finding the archetype that is the best fit for your organization is the key to creating not just an immediately recognizable and emotionally compelling identity, but a complete blueprint for brand performance.

First know who you are. Then adorn yourself accordingly.

Epictetus

But just as our societies become more complex, and our roles more specialized, so have the archetypes. We’ve used archetypes for many years and an issue we had frequently run into is they can be too vague, which causes confusion when developing a brand.

In addition, in some cases, we find that the category archetype is already owned by a legacy brand so a new brand or a challenger needs to find something distinctive in order to stand out.  In fact, we have noticed many strong brands today are actually not one pure archetype but a “mash-up” or “collision” of elements from 2 archetypes—perhaps one dominant and one supporting.

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This is why The Distillery and Field Trip & Co are introducing Archetypes 2.0. The Avatars.

Based on our own analysis and modelling, we have identified 3 variations on each of the original 12 Archetypes for a total of 36 total identities. We call them Avatars.  Think of our human society as a family tree. Each major branch is an Archetype, and each Avatar within the archetype family is a limb. These Avatars share the same parentage, and with it, similar characteristics, but each has evolved to become a distinct identity in its own right.

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How decoding your Archetype and Avatar can help make your life as a marketer easier.

1. It creates instant emotional resonance with your audience—so it passes the 7 second rule.
2. It streamlines your branding process, making it more integrated, holistic and human
3. It represents a complete blueprint for your brand behaviour—affecting everything from the new products you invent to the culture you foster.