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Advertising ArchetypesBelow are descriptions of the twelve archetypes that are most common in advertising and marketing. Each archetype has three levels, with Level 1 being the simplest and least moving form of the archetype and Level 3 being the most complex and appealing.
Desire: Experience (live in) paradise Goal: Be happy Fear: Doing something wrong or bad Strategy: Do things right Gift: Faith and optimism
Call: A desire for purity, goodness and simplicity Level 1: Childlike simplicity, naïve, dependent, obedient, trusting, idyllic Level 2: Renewal, positive, reinventing, reframing, cleansing, reentering promised land Level 3: Almost mystical sense of oneness, whereby innocence comes from values and integrity, not outer experience; being, not doing Shadow: Denial, repression
The Innocent helps us to lead a purer, simpler, more peaceful life. The Innocent brings renewal, faith and optimism to our lives, cleansing us from our everyday worries and helping us to relax and be happy.
This archetype ranges in depth from a simple, childlike innocence to reinventing and renewing oneself in order to reenter the “promised land.” At its most powerful, the Innocent embodies a sense of wholeness and oneness in which a person’s sense of purity and peace comes from his or her inner values instead of outside actions.
Desire: Freedom to find out who one is through exploring the world Goal: To experience a better, more authentic, more fulfilling life Fear: Getting trapped, conforming, inner emptiness, nonbeing Strategy: Journey, seek out and experience new things, escape from entrapment and boredom Trap: Aimless wandering, becoming a misfit Gift: Autonomy, ambition, ability to be true to one’s own soul
Call: Alienation, dissatisfaction, restlessness, yearning, boredom Level 1: Hitting the open road, going out into nature, exploring the world Level 2: Seeking one’s own individuality, becoming fulfilled Level 3: Expressing individuality and uniqueness Shadow: Being so alienated that one can’t find any way to fit in
The Explorer invites us to find ourselves by journeying through the world around us. By exploring the variety of experience that the world has to offer, we escape entrapment and boredom while discovering ourselves reflected in the world around us.
At its simplest, the Explorer archetype embodies the urge to hit the open road and explore the world around us. At deeper levels of the archetype, the journey can become a way to find one’s own individuality and express one’s uniqueness.
Desire: Discovery of truth Goal: To use intelligence and analysis to understand the world Fear: Being duped, misled – ignorance Strategy: Seek out information and knowledge, become self-reflective, understand thinking processes Trap: Can study issues forever and never act Gift: Wisdom, intelligence
Call: Confusion, doubt, deep desire to find the truth Level 1: Search for absolute truth, desire for objectivity, looking to experts Level 2: Skepticism, critical and innovative thinking, becoming an expert Level 3: Wisdom, confidence, mastery Shadow: Dogmatism, ivory tower, disconnection from reality
The Sage encourages us to use our intellect to understand the world around us and, in turn, better understand ourselves. By seeking out information and developing the intellect, the Sage helps us discover essential truths about the world and ourselves.
The archetype of the Sage progresses through a desire for truth to skepticism and critical thought about the world around us, emerging in its most powerful form as one possessing wisdom or some nugget of absolute truth.
Desire: Prove one’s worth through courageous and difficult action Goal: Exert mastery in a way that improves the world Fear: Weakness, vulnerability, “wimping out” Strategy: Become as strong, competent and powerful as one is capable of being Trap: Arrogance, developing a need for there to always be an enemy Gifts: Competence and courage
Call: The bully kicks sand in one’s face or someone tries to intimidate or abuse a weaker person; a challenge beckons; someone needs help defending him or herself Level 1: The development of boundaries, competence, mastery, expressed through achievement, motivated and tested through competition Level 2: Like a soldier, doing one’s duty for country, organization, community or family Level 3: Using strength, competence and courage for something that makes a difference to the world Shadow: Ruthlessness, obsessive need to win
The Hero uses his strength in order to improve the world. The Hero constantly strives to become stronger and more competent in order to have the power to create positive change in the world.
The Hero archetype in its most basic form involves the development of skills and competence. The more advanced Hero uses these skills to protect his or her family, community and country, and the most developed Hero seeks not only to protect, but also to change and improve the world.
Desire: Revenge or revolution Goal: To destroy what is not working (for outlaw or society) Fear: Being powerless, trivialized, inconsequential Strategy: Disrupt, destroy or shock Trap: To go over to the dark side, criminality Gift: Outrageousness, radical freedom
Call: Feeling powerless, angry, mistreated, under siege Level 1: Identifying as an outsider, dissociating from values of the group / society in a way that defies conventional behavior and morality. Level 2: Behaving in shocking and disruptive ways Level 3: Becoming a rebel or revolutionary Shadow: Criminal or evil behavior
The Outlaw disrupts the status quo when change is needed. By destroying the social institutions that are not working, the Outlaw creates the opportunity for better, more effective methods to replace them.
In the beginning, the Outlaw dissociates him or herself from society in a way that shocks and confronts conventional values. At the deepest level of the archetype, the Outlaw uses his or her power to disrupt the system to become a true revolutionary, overturning obsolete or ineffective establishments in order to create a new order.
Desire: Knowledge of fundamental laws of how the world and universe work Goal: Make dreams come true Fear: Unanticipated negative consequences Strategy: Develop vision and live it Trap: Becoming manipulative Gift: Finding win-win outcomes
Call: Hunches, extrasensory or synchronistic experiences Level 1: Magical moments and experiences of transformation Level 2: The experience of flow Level 3: Miracles, moving from vision to manifestation Shadow: Manipulation, sorcery
The Magician transforms the world. Using an understanding of the fundamental laws of the universe, the Magician finds ways to make his or her dreams into reality.
At the lower levels, the Magician archetype involves moments of clarity or transformation. The second level of the archetype involves the experience of “flow,” a sense of oneness with and understanding of the universe. At its most potent, the Magician archetype is capable of miracles, transforming reality to reflect a vision or dream.
Desire: Connection with others Goal: To belong, fit in Fears: Standing out, seeming to put on airs, being exiled or rejected Strategy: Develop ordinary solid virtues, the common touch, blend Trap: Give up self to blend in, in exchange for only a superficial connection Gift: Realism, empathy, lack of pretense
Call: Loneliness, alienation Level 1: The orphan, feeling abandoned and alone, seeking affiliation Level 2: The joiner, learning to connect, fit in, accept help and friendship Level 3: The humanitarian, believing in the natural dignity of every person regardless of his or her abilities and circumstances Shadow: The victim who is willing to be abused rather than be alone, or the lynch-mob member, willing to go along with abuse in order to be one of the gang.
The Regular Guy / Gal wants to fit in. By developing ordinary, solid virtues and avoiding any form of pretense or pomposity, the Regular Guy / Gal achieves a sense of belonging in his or her chosen environment.
The Regular Guy / Gal archetype begins as an orphan who seeks somewhere to belong. At the second level, the Regular Guy / Gal learns to connect with others, accept help and develop friendships. The highest level of the archetype is the humanitarian who believes that all people have value regardless of their abilities or circumstances.
Desire: Attain intimacy and experience sensual pleasure Goal: Being in a relationship with the people, work, experiences and surroundings they love Fear: Being alone, a wallflower, unwanted, unloved Strategy: Become more and more attractive, physically, emotionally and in every other way Trap: Doing anything and everything to attract and please others, losing identity Gifts: Passion, gratitude, appreciation, commitment
Call: Infatuation, seduction, falling in love (with a person, idea, cause, work or product) Level 1: Seeking great sex or a great romance Level 2: Following one’s bliss, committing to who and what one loves Level 3: Spiritual love, self-acceptance, the experience of ecstasy Shadow: Promiscuity, obsession, jealousy, envy, Puritanism
The Lover desires to have strong relationships with the people that he or she loves. The Lover constantly strives to make him or herself more desirable physically and emotionally in order to become attractive to others.
The Lover archetype begins as a search for sex or romance, and develops into a commitment to the people, ideas and experiences that he or she loves. At its height, the archetype embodies self-acceptance and pure, spiritual love.
Desire: To live in the moment with full enjoyment Goal: To have a great time and lighten up the world Fear: Boredom or being boring Strategy: Play, make jokes, be funny Trap: Wasting one’s life on trivial things Gift: Joy
Call: Ennui, boredom Level 1: Life as a game, fun Level 2: Cleverness used to trick others, get out of trouble and find ways around obstacles, transformation Level 3: Life experienced in the moment, one day at a time Shadow: Self-indulgence, irresponsibility, mean-spirited pranks
The Jester lives with a full appreciation of each moment. Through making jokes and being playful, the Jester enjoys life and lightens up the lives of those around him or her.
The basis of the Jester archetype is that life should be fun. The Jester archetype uses cleverness to trick others and find ways around obstacles, and at its highest level, the archetype is a life experienced and enjoyed in the moment.
Desire: Protect people from harm Goal: To help others Fear: selfishness, ingratitude Strategy: Do things for others Trap: Martyrdom of self, entrapment of others Gift: Compassion, generosity
Call: Seeing someone in need Level 1: Caring for and nurturing one’s dependents Level 2: Balancing self-care with care for others Level 3: Altruism, concern for the larger world Shadow: Martyrdom, enabling, guilt-tripping
The Caregiver helps and protects others. By serving others and supporting them emotionally and financially, the Caregiver helps others achieve their goals.
At the lower levels, the Caregiver archetype involves caring for one’s friends and family, and learning to balance caring for others with caring for oneself. At its pinnacle, the archetype involves an altruistic concern for and desire to help the entire world.
Desire: Create something of enduring value Goal: Give form to a vision Fear: Having mediocre vision or expression Strategy: Develop artistic control and skill Task: Create culture, develop own vision Trap: Perfectionism, miscreation Gift: Creativity and imagination
Call: Daydreams, fantasies, flashes of inspiration Level 1: Being creative and innovative in imitative ways Level 2: Giving form to one’s own vision Level 3: Creating structures that influence culture and society Shadow: Overly dramatizing one’s life, living a soap opera
The Creator crafts unique objects of enduring artistic, emotional or societal value. The Creator develops creative skill in order to create something truly original and unique.
The Creator archetype begins with imitating other creators, and progresses to the ability to give form to an original and unique vision. At its strongest, the archetype involves creating something that influences culture and society for many years.
Desire: Control Goal: Create a successful, prosperous family, company or community Strategy: Exert leadership Fear: Chaos, being overthrown Trap: Being bossy, authoritative Gift: Responsibility, leadership
Call: Lack of resources, order or harmony Level 1: Taking responsibility for the state of one’s own life Level 2: Exerting leadership in one’s family, group, organization or workplace Level 3: Becoming leader in one’s community, field or society Shadow: Tyrannical or manipulative behaviors
The Ruler exerts control over others in order to achieve a goal. Using his or her leadership skills, the Ruler guides his or her family, company or community to success and prosperity.
At the lowest level, the Ruler archetype involves taking responsibility for one’s own life, which is then expanded to taking responsibility for one’s family or group. The pinnacle of the Ruler archetype is becoming a leader in one’s community or field of expertise, or the larger society. |