Lover Archetype
Crafting a Nuanced Obsession-Worthy Brand with the Power of Intimacy (with Design Examples)
Sensual, passionate and intimate, the Lover Brand Archetype is one of Jung’s 12 Brand Archetypes.
If you’re wondering, how can you build a Lover brand that embraces nuance and deeply connects with your people, you’ve come to the right place.
Many of the entrepreneurs and businesses who reach out to me feel confused about how to create a multifaceted, nuanced Lover brand that feels unique to them.
So I decided to create this guide, just for you.
Lover archetype in branding: What is it?
Let’s first dive into the Lover brand persona in its pure, undiluted form.
Lover archetype symbolism
The Lover archetype brand exudes passion, romance and sensuality, desire and devotion, grace and authenticity. Associated with a lust for exquisite experiences and the finer things in life, the Lover archetype is driven by an instinctual drive to nurture intimacy and seek out beauty.
Customers who resonate with the Lover brand want to be surrounded by beauty and pleasure, and recognised for their individual beauty and passions.
The Lover’s…
DESIRE: Attain intimacy & experience sensual pleasure
GOAL: Being in a relationship with the people, the work, the experiences, the surroundings they love
FEAR: Being alone, a wall-flower, unwanted, unloved
TRAP: Doing anything and everything to attract and please others, losing identity
GIFT: Passion, gratitude, appreciation, commitment
STRATEGY: Become more and more attractive – physically, emotionally, and in every other way
Businesses that embody a healthy Lover archetype prioritise creating emotional connections, fostering relationships, and appealing to the desires and passions of their customers. They evoke feelings of love, desire, and intimacy in their brand experience.
In The Hero & The Outlaw, Margaret Mark talks about 5 Lover Levels:
In The Hero & The Outlaw, Margaret Mark talks about 5 Jester Levels:
THE CALL: Infatuation, seduction, falling in love (with a person, an idea, a cause, work, a product)
LEVEL 1: Seeking great sex or a great romance
LEVEL 2: Following you bliss and committing to whom and what you love
LEVEL 3: Spiritual love, self-acceptance, and the experience of bliss
THE SHADOW: Promiscuity, obsession, jealousy, envy, Puritanism
“Okay, the Lover Brand Archetype sounds like what I’m going for. What next?”
If the Lover archetype feels like a good fit, fantastic! Before we get too deep into the world of Jung and the Lover archetype, I want to share a little secret as a Branding Expert: Being too tethered to Jung’s original psychology and clinging to one single generic archetype will shoot your brand in the foot.
Why? Humans connect with humans. We are all unique combinations of our innate natures and experiences.
As a result, our brands need to reflect what our businesses bring to the table in an authentic way. We build trust by aligning our presentation with our business experience (behaviour).
I’m sure you’ve noticed many brand strategists insist on a rigid approach to brand strategy. They teach their clients that a business has to wholeheartedly embody one single archetype, perhaps with a secondary support, paving the way for generic sameness.
But embodying one single archetype leads to generic brands that don’t connect with anyone. Especially if you want to stand out from your competitors in a saturated market that is continually growing.
It is human nature to explore and meld ideas together in new interesting ways. Evolution is inevitable!
Yes, we do need to narrow the field to make sure that we have a style and personality to embody. We cannot be all things to all people.
But we can and should create beautiful, unique combinations that allow us to embrace what sets us/our business apart, instead of feeling guilt or shame at not perfectly fitting into the current boxes.
When we begin to think about what drives us, how we approach problems, our unique way of delivering our services, products or solutions… a more fascinating brandscape begins to take shape.
Brand archetypes offer a method to explore your brand, not a dogma to rigidly follow.
The best brand identities, the ones that will feel truly unique, authentic and connect with your audience, are always a multi-faceted combination of archetypes.
A strong brand strategy, rooted in a curated duo or triad of archetypes, is what will give your brand clarity while differentiating you from your competitors.
“I had tears reading how you’ve captured my purpose, my people and my why SO DAMN WELL. Seriously, it’s totally given me a really clear direction and sense of purpose.
I think you’ve hit the perfect mark between rebellion, expression, glamour, sophistication and rock and roll!“
– Danee – Killer Queen Creative
As you bring more dimensionality to your brand, you’ll foster more trust because you’re being more human.
Practical questions to help you identify if your brand is a Lover brand
Is Your Brand a Lover? Let’s talk about brand values now.
Ask yourself: Is the goal of your company to foster deep emotional connections and inspire passion? Does your company value sensuality, intimacy, and the pursuit of beauty? If you answered yes, it is very likely your brand has Lover energy.
To attract the right customers, maintain their trust and get the most from your marketing dollars, you should do all you can to communicate this philosophy to your customers.
“I was so impressed by Elise’s comprehensive deep dive into my core offering, mission and values. No stone was left unturned. My stunning new brand assets are timeless and reflect her understanding of my business and the audience we want to attract into our community. I’m now in a happy place to move my business forward with pride.“
– Rita De Michele – Onus app
To diagnose the true motivator behind your brand (which is the crucial first step to discover your most aligned brand archetypes), take my brand motivator quiz.
How to make your Lover brand identity truly memorable and unique
In my work with my clients, I always work to help them claim a combination of archetypes, rather than a single one. Since Jung’s brand archetypes are naturally fluid and flow across one another, there are endless ways to blend them together.
For example, one wing might look like a Motivator (an archetype that highlights how you want to make people feel) and one wing might be your Approach (how you deliver that feeling). Different combinations of archetypes can create vastly different brand identities.
“I’m so in love with Elise and the recent brand strategy work she did for me! I was over the moon with the results and it really felt like she got EXACTLY what the core of my brand was, and developed it in a concise, strong and cohesive way.
I’m so glad I engaged with her to bring my new website to life – I feel like I’ve learned so much and have a much clearer view on what I’m about! I highly recommend her wherever you are in the branding process – whether you’re just starting out, or if you’re refining your brand and taking it to the next level like me. Thank you Elise, you’re a superstar!!”
– Danee – Killer Queen Creative
If there’s one thing I want you to take away from this article, it’s to let go of your preconceptions about what a certain brand archetype must look like.
Lover archetype and brand differentiation
Jung proposed a variety of different subcategories for the Lover archetype, each reflecting a different dimension of the Lover. We can use these to add layers of nuance to a Lover brand.
Companion
Hedonist
Lover
Matchmaker
Romantic
Leveraging these will help you bring more nuance to your Lover brand identity. Ideally, you will go further than this and blend multiple archetypes together without leaning into cliche characteristics.
Lover archetype and target audience
The Lover archetype delivers a customer experience that is emotionally captivating and aesthetically pleasing. Naturally, this tends to attract customers who crave a brand experience that is immersive and enchanting.
Industries like beauty, the wedding industry, luxury fashion, jewellery, fragrance, and fine arts often have Lover energy because they care about evoking emotions, creating beauty, and appealing to the desires and passions of their customers.
Strengths and weaknesses of the Lover Archetype in marketing and advertising
To create a Lover brand that resonates, my best advice is to make sure your brand is imbued with an essence of luxury and intimacy. Think beautiful, romantic objects and places and elegant graphics and clothing.
The Lover’s strength lies in creating a sense of intimacy and making people feel seen, attractive and loved or admired.
With a Lover brand, your goal is to connect with people’s hidden desires for intimacy, passion or connection and to help them to feel beautiful and surround themselves with beauty.
The flip side is that it’s possible for Lover brands to appear shallow, overly dramatic, even obsessive or impossible to satisfy, and needy for attention.
Lover branding examples
Here are examples of the Lover archetype in marketing and design in the wild.
Here are some of the Lover brands I’ve had the pleasure of working with.
Designing for the Lover archetype
Lover archetype and visual branding
Designed to create an experience that delights the senses, Lover archetype visuals can be described as luxurious, soothing, sensual and richly textural or colourful.
Lover imagery gives a sense of refinement infused with beauty. Styles can range from romantically delicate to passionately vibrant.
When it comes to brand storytelling, the graphics should be smooth and refined, offering a sense of aesthetic beauty and balance. Visually, Lover brands might evoke luxury or a couple sharing an intimate moment.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, of course, but most often, this means the emphasis should be on refinement and quality. In design, this could mean beautiful lines, metallic finishes, luscious flowers, or beautifully finished packaging.
Here is a curated Pinterest board I’ve created for the Lover archetype.
Lover archetype design and colour psychology
Lover brand colours range from rich and luxurious to delicate and sensual. No matter the saturation, the colours should be refined and harmonious. Often, we’ll see pink and red paired together in various shades, with touches of metallic such as gold, rose gold or silver, or black and pink.
Rich luxurious purples, golds, and floral greens are also typical of this archetype, with touches of powder blue or grey.
A word on the Lover archetype design and colour psychology
The use of colour in your brand design instantly affects the emotions and moods of the people viewing your brand.
Planning out your brand’s colour scheme can be challenging. I have two practical tips for you: 1) I recommend using primary and secondary colours that contrast well and 2) not being afraid to break traditional colour schemes in your industry.
Corporate colour schemes tend to be minimal while creative brands can include more colours.
If you know your audience belongs to a certain culture, always consider the meaning of the colours you choose within the context of that culture.
Lover archetype and typography
The Lover brand gravitates to stylish fonts that capture a sense of romance and refinement. This might mean an elegant script, a refined serif, or passionate brush script. We’ll often see intimate connection points or flourishes. Script fonts emulate the feel of a love letter or note, that can feel sweet or romantically expressive.
Lover archetype and photography
The Lover photography style aims to promote passion, desire and intimate connection with the brand. Expect a focus on capturing intimate moments through cropped close shots. It may invite you into an intimate location and to interact with beautiful objects or surroundings.
Lover brands can also present an aspirational image to evoke a desire for luxury. The photography can zoom in on beautiful textural details, or suggest a private moment with an intimate gaze.
Lover archetype and brand messaging
The Lover brand voice is sensual, romantic, alluring, sophisticated, passionate, and enchanting.
Their voice says: “Indulge in the allure of our brand. We create experiences that awaken your senses, ignite your desires, and envelop you in an atmosphere of beauty and romance.”
Branding with the Lover archetype – Practical tips
Here are actionable tips to bring your Jester brand to life with visual storytelling techniques.
Tips for showcasing your Lover brand on Instagram
- Focus on creating visually stunning Insta content – visual beauty matters a lot for your brand archetype.
- Use high-quality images in rich colours, appealing compositions, and thoughtful editing to enchant your audience.
- Host live sessions where you engage with your audience one-on-one.
- Feature testimonials from satisfied clients that show their love for your brand.
Curious to discover your Brand Archetype? Start by taking this quiz to uncover your Core Motivator.
Pass the Salt, founded by Elise Elliott, is a branding studio devoted to shaking up brand strategy, design and creative direction for entrepreneurial dreamers, doers and shakers who smirk at rules and high-five at the adventure of exploration.
Elise’s branding framework helps clients find language for their authentic business identity, connect with their dream audience and find greater ease in their business.
Lover Archetype
Crafting a Nuanced Obsession-Worthy Brand with the Power of Intimacy (with Design Examples)
Sensual, passionate and intimate, the Lover Brand Archetype is one of Jung’s 12 Brand Archetypes.
If you’re wondering, how can you build a Lover brand that embraces nuance and deeply connects with your people, you’ve come to the right place.
Many of the entrepreneurs and businesses who reach out to me feel confused about how to create a multifaceted, nuanced Lover brand that feels unique to them.
So I decided to create this guide, just for you.
Lover archetype in branding: What is it?
Let’s first dive into the Lover brand persona in its pure, undiluted form.
Lover archetype symbolism
The Lover archetype brand exudes passion, romance and sensuality, desire and devotion, grace and authenticity. Associated with a lust for exquisite experiences and the finer things in life, the Lover archetype is driven by an instinctual drive to nurture intimacy and seek out beauty.
Customers who resonate with the Lover brand want to be surrounded by beauty and pleasure, and recognised for their individual beauty and passions.
The Lover’s…
DESIRE: Attain intimacy & experience sensual pleasure
GOAL: Being in a relationship with the people, the work, the experiences, the surroundings they love
FEAR: Being alone, a wall-flower, unwanted, unloved
TRAP: Doing anything and everything to attract and please others, losing identity
GIFT: Passion, gratitude, appreciation, commitment
STRATEGY: Become more and more attractive – physically, emotionally, and in every other way
Businesses that embody a healthy Lover archetype prioritise creating emotional connections, fostering relationships, and appealing to the desires and passions of their customers. They evoke feelings of love, desire, and intimacy in their brand experience.
In The Hero & The Outlaw, Margaret Mark talks about 5 Lover Levels:
In The Hero & The Outlaw, Margaret Mark talks about 5 Jester Levels:
THE CALL: Infatuation, seduction, falling in love (with a person, an idea, a cause, work, a product)
LEVEL 1: Seeking great sex or a great romance
LEVEL 2: Following you bliss and committing to whom and what you love
LEVEL 3: Spiritual love, self-acceptance, and the experience of bliss
THE SHADOW: Promiscuity, obsession, jealousy, envy, Puritanism
“Okay, the Lover Brand Archetype sounds like what I’m going for. What next?”
If the Lover archetype feels like a good fit, fantastic! Before we get too deep into the world of Jung and the Lover archetype, I want to share a little secret as a Branding Expert: Being too tethered to Jung’s original psychology and clinging to one single generic archetype will shoot your brand in the foot.
Why? Humans connect with humans. We are all unique combinations of our innate natures and experiences.
As a result, our brands need to reflect what our businesses bring to the table in an authentic way. We build trust by aligning our presentation with our business experience (behaviour).
I’m sure you’ve noticed many brand strategists insist on a rigid approach to brand strategy. They teach their clients that a business has to wholeheartedly embody one single archetype, perhaps with a secondary support, paving the way for generic sameness.
But embodying one single archetype leads to generic brands that don’t connect with anyone. Especially if you want to stand out from your competitors in a saturated market that is continually growing.
It is human nature to explore and meld ideas together in new interesting ways. Evolution is inevitable!
Yes, we do need to narrow the field to make sure that we have a style and personality to embody. We cannot be all things to all people.
But we can and should create beautiful, unique combinations that allow us to embrace what sets us/our business apart, instead of feeling guilt or shame at not perfectly fitting into the current boxes.
When we begin to think about what drives us, how we approach problems, our unique way of delivering our services, products or solutions… a more fascinating brandscape begins to take shape.
Brand archetypes offer a method to explore your brand, not a dogma to rigidly follow.
The best brand identities, the ones that will feel truly unique, authentic and connect with your audience, are always a multi-faceted combination of archetypes.
A strong brand strategy, rooted in a curated duo or triad of archetypes, is what will give your brand clarity while differentiating you from your competitors.
“I had tears reading how you’ve captured my purpose, my people and my why SO DAMN WELL. Seriously, it’s totally given me a really clear direction and sense of purpose.
I think you’ve hit the perfect mark between rebellion, expression, glamour, sophistication and rock and roll!“
– Danee – Killer Queen Creative
As you bring more dimensionality to your brand, you’ll foster more trust because you’re being more human.
Practical questions to help you identify if your brand is a Lover brand
Is Your Brand a Lover? Let’s talk about brand values now.
Ask yourself: Is the goal of your company to foster deep emotional connections and inspire passion? Does your company value sensuality, intimacy, and the pursuit of beauty? If you answered yes, it is very likely your brand has Lover energy.
To attract the right customers, maintain their trust and get the most from your marketing dollars, you should do all you can to communicate this philosophy to your customers.
“I was so impressed by Elise’s comprehensive deep dive into my core offering, mission and values. No stone was left unturned. My stunning new brand assets are timeless and reflect her understanding of my business and the audience we want to attract into our community. I’m now in a happy place to move my business forward with pride.“
– Rita De Michele – Onus app
To diagnose the true motivator behind your brand (which is the crucial first step to discover your most aligned brand archetypes), take my brand motivator quiz.
How to make your Lover brand identity truly memorable and unique
In my work with my clients, I always work to help them claim a combination of archetypes, rather than a single one. Since Jung’s brand archetypes are naturally fluid and flow across one another, there are endless ways to blend them together.
For example, one wing might look like a Motivator (an archetype that highlights how you want to make people feel) and one wing might be your Approach (how you deliver that feeling). Different combinations of archetypes can create vastly different brand identities.
“I’m so in love with Elise and the recent brand strategy work she did for me! I was over the moon with the results and it really felt like she got EXACTLY what the core of my brand was, and developed it in a concise, strong and cohesive way.
I’m so glad I engaged with her to bring my new website to life – I feel like I’ve learned so much and have a much clearer view on what I’m about! I highly recommend her wherever you are in the branding process – whether you’re just starting out, or if you’re refining your brand and taking it to the next level like me. Thank you Elise, you’re a superstar!!”
– Danee – Killer Queen Creative
If there’s one thing I want you to take away from this article, it’s to let go of your preconceptions about what a certain brand archetype must look like.
Lover archetype and brand differentiation
Jung proposed a variety of different subcategories for the Lover archetype, each reflecting a different dimension of the Lover. We can use these to add layers of nuance to a Lover brand.
Companion
Hedonist
Lover
Matchmaker
Romantic
Leveraging these will help you bring more nuance to your Lover brand identity. Ideally, you will go further than this and blend multiple archetypes together without leaning into cliche characteristics.
Lover archetype and target audience
The Lover archetype delivers a customer experience that is emotionally captivating and aesthetically pleasing. Naturally, this tends to attract customers who crave a brand experience that is immersive and enchanting.
Industries like beauty, the wedding industry, luxury fashion, jewellery, fragrance, and fine arts often have Lover energy because they care about evoking emotions, creating beauty, and appealing to the desires and passions of their customers.
Strengths and weaknesses of the Lover Archetype in marketing and advertising
To create a Lover brand that resonates, my best advice is to make sure your brand is imbued with an essence of luxury and intimacy. Think beautiful, romantic objects and places and elegant graphics and clothing.
The Lover’s strength lies in creating a sense of intimacy and making people feel seen, attractive and loved or admired.
With a Lover brand, your goal is to connect with people’s hidden desires for intimacy, passion or connection and to help them to feel beautiful and surround themselves with beauty.
The flip side is that it’s possible for Lover brands to appear shallow, overly dramatic, even obsessive or impossible to satisfy, and needy for attention.
Lover branding examples
Here are examples of the Lover archetype in marketing and design in the wild.
Here are some of the Lover brands I’ve had the pleasure of working with.
Designing for the Lover archetype
Lover archetype and visual branding
Designed to create an experience that delights the senses, Lover archetype visuals can be described as luxurious, soothing, sensual and richly textural or colourful.
Lover imagery gives a sense of refinement infused with beauty. Styles can range from romantically delicate to passionately vibrant.
When it comes to brand storytelling, the graphics should be smooth and refined, offering a sense of aesthetic beauty and balance. Visually, Lover brands might evoke luxury or a couple sharing an intimate moment.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, of course, but most often, this means the emphasis should be on refinement and quality. In design, this could mean beautiful lines, metallic finishes, luscious flowers, or beautifully finished packaging.
Here is a curated Pinterest board I’ve created for the Lover archetype.
Lover archetype design and colour psychology
Lover brand colours range from rich and luxurious to delicate and sensual. No matter the saturation, the colours should be refined and harmonious. Often, we’ll see pink and red paired together in various shades, with touches of metallic such as gold, rose gold or silver, or black and pink.
Rich luxurious purples, golds, and floral greens are also typical of this archetype, with touches of powder blue or grey.
A word on the Lover archetype design and colour psychology
The use of colour in your brand design instantly affects the emotions and moods of the people viewing your brand.
Planning out your brand’s colour scheme can be challenging. I have two practical tips for you: 1) I recommend using primary and secondary colours that contrast well and 2) not being afraid to break traditional colour schemes in your industry.
Corporate colour schemes tend to be minimal while creative brands can include more colours.
If you know your audience belongs to a certain culture, always consider the meaning of the colours you choose within the context of that culture.
Lover archetype and typography
The Lover brand gravitates to stylish fonts that capture a sense of romance and refinement. This might mean an elegant script, a refined serif, or passionate brush script. We’ll often see intimate connection points or flourishes. Script fonts emulate the feel of a love letter or note, that can feel sweet or romantically expressive.
Lover archetype and photography
The Lover photography style aims to promote passion, desire and intimate connection with the brand. Expect a focus on capturing intimate moments through cropped close shots. It may invite you into an intimate location and to interact with beautiful objects or surroundings.
Lover brands can also present an aspirational image to evoke a desire for luxury. The photography can zoom in on beautiful textural details, or suggest a private moment with an intimate gaze.
Lover archetype and brand messaging
The Lover brand voice is sensual, romantic, alluring, sophisticated, passionate, and enchanting.
Their voice says: “Indulge in the allure of our brand. We create experiences that awaken your senses, ignite your desires, and envelop you in an atmosphere of beauty and romance.”
Branding with the Lover archetype – Practical tips
Here are actionable tips to bring your Jester brand to life with visual storytelling techniques.
Tips for showcasing your Lover brand on Instagram
- Focus on creating visually stunning Insta content – visual beauty matters a lot for your brand archetype.
- Use high-quality images in rich colours, appealing compositions, and thoughtful editing to enchant your audience.
- Host live sessions where you engage with your audience one-on-one.
- Feature testimonials from satisfied clients that show their love for your brand.
Curious to discover your Brand Archetype? Start by taking this quiz to uncover your Core Motivator.
Pass the Salt, founded by Elise Elliott, is a branding studio devoted to shaking up brand strategy, design and creative direction for entrepreneurial dreamers, doers and shakers who smirk at rules and high-five at the adventure of exploration.
Elise’s branding framework helps clients find language for their authentic business identity, connect with their dream audience and find greater ease in their business.
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