ARCHETYPES IN COSMETICS

Archetype-based innovation represents a huge opportunity in our industry. From a marketing perspective, an archetype is defined as a universal personality model that represents different values, motivations, and behaviors that create an emotional impact on people. They also represent how a brand can humanize itself, achieving loyalty and a stronger bond with consumers. Archetypes are used to communicate values, emotions, and thoughts, helping to create innovative campaigns, empower concepts, and increase brand recognition.

The concept of archetype arose from the psychological principles of Carl Jung, who proposed that people have a collective connection in the unconscious through universal models that appear in myths, stories, dreams, religions of all cultures and eras, and of course, in marketing. In other words, an archetype is a primitive image, symbol, or pattern of behavior, that is a “psychological model” that influences how people perceive the world. There are 12 archetypes widely used in marketing: The Innocent, The Wise, The Explorer, The Rebel, The Magician, The Hero, The Citizen, The Jester, The Lover, The Creative, The Ruler, and The Caregiver, each of which represents different behaviors and thoughts. Archetypes allow us to connect with the essence of a brand, identifying with it and achieving an affinity with our lifestyle.

An archetype can be used as a building guide throughout the stages of a brand creation or customer loyalty process: from logo design, slogans, tone of voice in advertising videos (commercials, short videos) to marketing campaigns. All of this creates a stronger and clearer connection between the brand and its customers, which can generate greater differentiation in the market.

When an archetype is used well, it can be so strong and powerful that the company and brand can sell more than just products and services: it can convey stories, user experiences, create closer ties, and even strengthen customer loyalty. It has been proven that the archetypes and symbols used in brands increase consumer loyalty because they feel secure and identified.

As seen before, brands can deeply engage and build rapport with their consumers using archetypes. In the fragrance industry we can see different examples of this: a relatively young brand, founded in 2022, recently launched a set of 24 unique fragrances inspired by the Jungian archetypes, and the goal of this collection is to be a journey for self-discovery and the expression of the qualities that make consumers unique, rather than being just a series of perfumes. These fragrances range from fresh and invigorating to warm and seductive, each one designed to resonate with the characteristics and emotions of its corresponding archetype.

Another luxury brand launched just a couple of weeks ago a new flanker of one of its most iconic fragrances, making it the fourth in the collection; this set of fragrances is devoted to modern adventurers and their drive to push the boundaries and discover new horizons, which greatly correlates with the Explorer archetype and can be embraced by a more adventurous and thrill-seeker audience.

In the makeup realm there is a slightly different approach. There are eight basic archetypes that are indicated in literature: natural, elegant, gamine, ingenue, classic, modern, dramatic and romantic. Even though the idea is the same -to deeply connect with the representation of unique personas or styles- there is another dimension to it: the aesthetic appearance of consumer’s face. Depending on your facial features you can choose makeup techniques and styles that complement your attributes and reflect your individuality at the same time, and to this end, there are some quizzes that can help you determine the archetype that best suits you: they require the recognition and measurement of some features, like your face shape and ratio, the size of your eyes, the height and width of your nose, among others.

Even though there are specialized brands, the consumer can choose from a variety of products the ones that best fit their preferences and can even choose a secondary or tertiary archetype, depending on the style they want to achieve or the one that best suits their personality at the time. Imagination is the limit when it comes to makeup and there is a lot of room for experimenting and discovering the consumer’s personal style.

In facial and hair care, archetypes are a way to honor the uniqueness of skin and hair, allowing us to understand, comprehend, and embrace wellness, beauty, and care of these in a different way.

According to an interesting beauty blog, archetypes for facial and hair care products should be “superior beings,” where people can have a beauty standard as a source of inspiration, one that is achievable and allows them to express their best, allowing them to embrace concepts of wellness, beauty, and skin and hair care in a different way.

Considering the premise that how you look is how you feel, a famous German skincare brand has had great success with its “caregiver” archetype, with the key message: “I’m here to take care of you.” Since its founding, it has always been devoted with well-being and skin care, which makes people feel protected and loved.

Another renowned American personal care company is represented by the “magician” archetype, offering products that take its customers on a transformative experience, encouraging personal development for many women, promising younger and more radiant skin, transforming ordinary routines into extraordinary ones, and rewarding them with inspiring narratives.

An archetype that impacts new generations is the “innocent” archetype, which prioritizes formulas with natural and organic ingredients, formulas with provocative and disruptive sensorial textures, as does a famous European brand where, through each product, it offers innovative experiences full of freshness and fun, since they say that the fresher the ingredients, the more they nourish the skin.

When it comes to hair care, one of the most widely used archetypes is the “Sage,” who offers scientific solutions for specific hair problems like dandruff, proposing highly effective formulas and emphasizing the importance of instilling self-confidence and security in the consumer. Another renowned American hair care company focuses on the “Jester” archetype, offering a unique and fun experience, using friendly language and offering hair care routines tailored to urban values, full of diversity, cleanliness, and transparency.

What trends are we seeing in new marketing archetypes?

Hybrid archetypes: Many brands are blending different archetypes to address the needs and complexities of the modern consumer. It’s no longer enough to be just “The Magician” or “The Creative.” We’re seeing new hybrid archetypes that achieve highly original concepts.

New archetype: “The Conscious One”: This is a new archetype inspired by “The Caregiver,” “The Wise One,” and “The Rebel,” and connects with brands that communicate purpose and transparency, integrating values ​​such as social justice, ethics, mental health, and sustainability.

Due to the rise of artificial intelligence, a new archetype has emerged: “The Digital Wizard.” This archetype will be tasked with creating the future and transforming reality through predictive, automated, and personalized solutions.

Personalized micro-archetypes. Brands can now adjust their archetypes based on customer profiles for more personalized experiences.

“Regenerative” archetype. Its motivation is to heal, restore, and transform, and it focuses on various fields such as sustainability, social and environmental regeneration, mental health, personal reinvention, and self-improvement, promoting innovations in cosmetics, nutrition, and alternative therapies, among others.

“Network Weaver” archetype. Its mission is to connect people and communities through collaboration, decentralization, collective intelligence, and community co-creation tools.

“Illuminator” archetype, which can help others see, discover, and expand consciousness through modern spirituality, mindfulness, holistic education, personal growth technologies, and meditation apps, among others.

Carol S. Pearson, author of The Hero and the Outlaw, said, “People don’t buy products, they buy the stories those products represent”. Cosmetic brands can create unique or hybrid archetypes that allow consumers to emotionally identify with them through new strategies and experiences… What is your favorite cosmetic archetype?