Brand Archetype Series: The Innocent
Nov 22, 2024When it comes to building a business that you love showing up in each day and that naturally attracts your soulmate clients, understanding brand archetypes can be incredibly helpful.
The twelve archetypes, first introduced by psychologist Carl Jung, provide a framework for understanding the different personalities that brands can adopt to build faster connection and trust with their audiences.
Using archetypes in branding goes far beyond the surface. By adopting a specific archetype, you’re inviting your audience into a story where they can see themselves; and showing them the role you’ll play in their journey – will you be the supportive and nurturing Caregiver, the adventurous Explorer, or the passionate Lover?
This narrative approach to branding taps into universal truths, stories we’re all familiar with, and emotions everyone understands, making your message so much more relatable and memorable.
When you align your brand with an archetype, you’re essentially creating a living, breathing entity that speaks directly to the heart of your audience. And in today’s busier-than-ever online world, having a brand that feels like a friend or role model can make all the difference in grabbing your audience’s attention
For an overview of all 12 archetypes, check out this blog post. Otherwise, keep reading to discover more about the Innocent.
What is the Innocent Brand Archetype?
The Innocent archetype, also known as the Purist, Idealist, Traditionalist, Cheerleader, or Saint, is an optimist, a dreamer and a nostalgist at heart.
The Innocent inspires others to enjoy living in the present moment. Their glass is always half full and their purpose is to create happiness, spread optimism, and encourage new beginnings in their cheerful demeanor.
You can leverage the Innocent archetype by emphasizing simplicity, joy, and a sense of ease in your programs, products, and services. Focus on creating experiences that encourage your clients to embrace the beauty in everyday moments, reconnect with their inner peace, and approach life with a fresh perspective. Personalize these experiences with elements that reflect the Innocent's hopeful spirit, such as tranquil settings, gentle guidance, or uplifting activities that foster a sense of wonder and positivity. This approach will make your clients feel refreshed, inspired to see the good in the world, and motivated to pursue a life of simplicity and genuine happiness.
The Innocent’s personality is kind, optimistic, simple, joyful, trustworthy, encouraging and sweet. They are usually not controversial, disorganized, or deceitful.
The Innocent’s core desire is to find fulfillment in the here and now, and they are motivated by creating balance and living a simple, content life. Their big purpose is to inspire others to stay hopeful through hard times and enjoy living in the present moment.
They value balance, serenity, beauty, loyalty, and contentment.
Their strengths include seeing beauty in everyday things, people and situations. However, their weaknesses can include appearing childish or naive, becoming predictable and boring, and being unrealistic.
No matter what, the Innocent does not tolerate too much negativity or uncertainty.
The Innocent Archetype in Branding
Through their brand, the Innocent promises to help you slow down, relax and get out of the fast lane so you can truly enjoy your life.
They make their clients and audience feel cared for, appreciated, and at ease.
They achieve this through a unique brand voice that is gentle, optimistic, concise, and genuine.
This voice includes brand messaging such as phrases like, “don’t lose hope,” “choose joy,” and “breath of fresh air.” The Innocent may also use words like, “splendid,” “kind,” “possible,” “ideal,” “delicate” and “harmony.”
The Innocent’s brand visuals are soft and whimsical. Innocent color palettes tend to be light and natural. While the Innocent isn't confined to specific colors, pastels and muted colors pair well with the archetype, reflecting its connection to simplicity, lightheartedness, and peace.
Images portray related themes, activities, and motifs, such as joy, simplicity, nostalgia, innocence, cleanliness, and wonder. Below is an example of a brand moodboard from our Innocent Brand Bundle, so you can get a feel for the visuals.
In practice, Innocent brands embody a spirit of purity and optimism in all their communications and interactions. They focus on fostering a sense of calm and simplicity, inspiring their audience to embrace the good in life, find joy in everyday moments, and approach the world with an open heart.
Innocent brands emphasize authenticity and kindness, encouraging their clients to reconnect with their truest selves and seek out peace and happiness. They often present themselves as beacons of hope and trust, inviting clients to step into a world where positivity, simplicity, and heartfelt connections thrive.
Innocent Brand Examples
Dove
Dove embodies the Innocent archetype through its commitment to natural beauty, self-acceptance, and authenticity. With campaigns focused on real people and messages of self-love and purity, Dove encourages customers to embrace themselves just as they are.
Coca Cola
Coca-Cola captures the Innocent archetype by celebrating moments of happiness, nostalgia, and connection. Through its classic branding and emphasis on unity and sharing joy, Coca-Cola evokes feelings of positivity and timeless simplicity.
Whole Foods
Whole Foods represents the Innocent archetype by promoting health, wellness, and natural goodness. With its focus on organic, wholesome ingredients and sustainable practices, Whole Foods invites customers to reconnect with pure, high-quality food and a clean lifestyle.
Innocent Pop Culture Examples
Zooey Deschanel
Zooey Deschanel embodies the Innocent archetype with her quirky charm, sincerity, and positive outlook. Her whimsical, carefree style and roles that highlight her down-to-earth persona resonate with qualities of innocence and authenticity.
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift fits the Innocent archetype through her candid storytelling and ability to convey relatable, heartfelt emotions. Her songs often capture universal experiences of love, growth, and self-discovery, inviting fans to connect with her on a genuine, unfiltered level.
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn represents the Innocent archetype with her timeless elegance, grace, and compassion. Known for her humanitarian work and her roles that reflect purity and optimism, Hepburn inspires a sense of hope, kindness, and classic beauty.
These brands and individuals not only embody the external traits associated with the Innocent archetype—such as simplicity, purity, and an optimistic outlook—but they also create deeper emotional connections that inspire a sense of comfort, kindness, and authenticity in their audiences, making them enduring symbols of hope, sincerity, and gentle optimism.
Check Out The Rest of This Series
Find Your Brand Archetype
Recognizing your archetype is just the beginning. From there, it’s important to integrate it into every facet of your brand, your messaging, and your visuals in a way that resonates with those you aim to serve.
If you're ready to dive deeper and uncover the archetype that reflects YOUR brand's personality, I invite you to take my brand personality quiz today. Discover which archetype aligns with your brand's essence and how you can leverage this understanding to craft a brand that stands out and speaks directly to the hearts of your audience.
Don't stop here, though. I’m here to support you in creating a purposeful, archetypal brand that makes money AND makes a difference. Explore how we can work together here.
