Everyone loves a good story — sinking into our sofas, escaping into imaginary worlds, and putting real life on pause for a while. But what makes certain stories so compelling? How do successful storytellers – from Spielberg to Tolkien — keep audiences entranced? One key reason is their use of archetypes: characters and stories we relate to because — as psychoanalyst Carl Jung put it — they’re rooted in our subconscious. When storytellers use archetypal characters, we care about them because we’re all hardwired to immediately understand them. Helping us to understand, relate, and care - that’s the power of archetypes. And that’s how successful brands use them, too.
Last week, Walpole's Helen Brocklebank was joined by Mark Bower from Woven for a masterclass in 'Archetypes 101: There are twelve brand archetypes — but which one are you?' In this session, Mark discussed how can brands can use their archetype to tap into the power of storytelling, entrance audiences, and turn strangers into long-term brand advocates in a fascinating crash course in Jungian archetypes and their timeless influence. That will forever change the way you see your brand today, and determine what it may become in the future.
Download the presentation here: Woven Brand Archetypes
For more information please email [email protected] or Helen Darlington on [email protected].
Further reading:
Here is a link to The Hero and The Outlaw, a book mentioned in the presentation
A Woven blog, which includes a number of additional resources to encourage people to think about where they fit in the archetype wheel
Mark Bower and Woven's Chief Growth Officer, Si Muddell, recorded a conversation about Brand Archetypes
A link to a video interview of Joseph Campbell discussing the Power of Myth and The Hero’s Adventure
www.woven.agency