Your brand is the Rebel Brand Archetype- ready to learn how to use it?
Understand the Rebel Archetype:
The Rebel isn’t afraid to step outside the norm and shake things up when they see the opportunity to change the world for the better, even if such change is uncomfortable. These passionate idealists can come across as jarring when they set their mind to a cause. They aren’t afraid of tearing down the current system in order to create a better one.
Ultimately, the Rebel fears being powerless because it keeps them from fulfilling their vision of progress. Sometimes they go too far, having a tendency to slip towards darkness—after all a “freedom fighter” to one person can be a “terrorist” to another. At their core, the Rebel wants to overturn what they see as wrong in favor of something more promising.
Rebel brands vary from everything from products that are seen as harmful and dangerous like tobacco, marijuana, and alcohol to progressive advocate companies that stand up for their customers and make a difference in harmful policies and situations.
Purpose:
The rebel brand archetype also known as the revolutionary, maverick, iconoclast, activist and reformer is motivated by revolution. They aim to change what is not working either personally or for society by destroying, disrupting or shocking the existing systems.
Strengths:
Rebel brand archetype has a gift for outrageousness and radical freedom. They can transform the feelings of powerlessness and mistreatment into true change and reform.
Challenges:
Taken to extreme, the Rebel brand archetype can fall into criminality and villainy.
Brand Voice
The Rebel brand voice is distinctive and sometimes shocking. It encourages it’s viewer to break the rules. Language is often rougher, with profanity present.
Rebel vs Explorer vs Hero:
It can sometimes be confusing determining whether a brand belongs to the Rebel archetype over the Explorer or Hero. All three of these archetypes share some similarities, but they do also have their distinctions.
Rebel vs Explorer:
Both the Rebel and Explorer stand on the edges of society. Explorers just want to feel free while Rebels want to disrupt things, shock people, get away with something or change the existing structures. Both may feel a bit alienated from the mainstream. The Explorer experiences this disconnection with sadness and loneliness, while the Rebel experiences it with anger, outrage, or the exhilaration of breaking out of or through society. This illustrates their core motivations – the seeking of inner happiness for the Explorer and the outer mastery for the Rebel.
Rebel vs. Hero
Since both Rebel and Hero are seeking mastery, it makes sense that they might be easily confused. Rebels are often referred to as Outlaws – so many view them as a darker shadow of the Hero archetype, but that isn’t the whole story. Both of these archetypes are provoked towards change and action by anger. The Rebel’s anger tends to by provoked by being personally slighted. The Hero is much more likely to be provoked by injustice. Heroes are more likely to identify with community while Rebels are more likely to be independent or even feel estranged from a larger community. While Rebels can express the hidden, shadowy side we try to deny and hide, they can also assist in bringing down an oppressive establishment or help to open and ease social restrictions.
Customer and Brands:
Rebel brand archetypes are a good fit for restricted substances or substances that used to be restricted (such as alcohol and tobacco). If the purpose of your product is to literally destroy something (as in bulldozers or in a video game) or is genuinely revolutionary, this is the perfect brand archetype. If your product is really not very good for people so that using it is basically thumbing your nose at society’s ideas of what constitutes good health practices, the rebel brand archetype may be a good fit. The rebel brand archetype is a good fit if your product or service helps retain values that are threatened by prevailing ones or pioneers new and revolutionary attitudes.
Pin this handy reference sheet:
Not sure you found the right archetype?
Most brands are a mix of more than one archetype – and two archetypes can be tricky but very rewarding to blend. Below you will find links to all of the archetypes so you can familiarize yourself with other descriptions and characteristics to see if there is one that feels like a better fit for you and your brand. If you are still struggling – feel free to contact me to chat and see if together we can sort out what works best for you!
