A growing library

Brand archetype readings.

What brand archetype is Nike? Patagonia? Apple? Disney? Each brand below has been diagnosed across all five layers of the Five Layer Diagnostic. The seed set covers 43 brands; the library is growing.

Hero

The Hero brands.

Nike

The expressed Hero, in full voice.

Patagonia

The Hero restrained, protecting.

Duracell

Endurance as virtue.

Outlaw

The Outlaw brands.

Harley-Davidson

Refusal as identity.

Virgin

The establishment’s foil.

Diesel

Provocation as posture.

Vice

Reportage from the margins.

Magician

The Magician brands.

Disney

The architecture of wonder.

Tesla

Transformation marketed as inevitability.

Polaroid

The moment made material.

Aesop

Atmosphere as product.

Lover

The Lover brands.

Chanel

Desire as craft.

Godiva

Small indulgence as ritual.

Tiffany & Co.

Desire encased in robin’s-egg blue.

Häagen-Dazs

Indulgence with intent.

Jester

The Jester brands.

Old Spice

Absurdity as confidence.

M&M’s

Play as product.

Skittles

The non-sequitur as voice.

Snickers

The straight-faced reframe.

Everyman

The Everyman brands.

IKEA

Design for the rest of us.

Levi’s

The uniform of ordinary life.

Budweiser

A beer, not a statement.

Target

Design democracy.

Ruler

The Ruler brands.

Rolex

The crown as argument.

Mercedes-Benz

Order rendered in engineering.

American Express

Membership as station.

Hermès

Restraint as power.

Creator

The Creator brands.

Apple

The tool is the artifact.

Lego

Imagination, made structural.

Caregiver

The Caregiver brands.

Volvo

Safety as ethics.

Johnson & Johnson

The industrial Caregiver.

Campbell’s

Warmth as product.

UNICEF

Care at the level of institutions.

Innocent

The Innocent brands.

Coca-Cola

A world in harmony.

Dove

The promise of goodness restored.

Aveeno

Nature, uncomplicated.

Sage

The Sage brands.

The New York Times

The record of what happened.

Google

Knowledge as interface.

BBC

Authority as sourcing.

Wikipedia

Knowledge, citation-led.

Explorer

The Explorer brands.

The North Face

The edge as destination.

REI

The outdoors as classroom.

Jeep

Go anywhere.