Archetypal marketing intelligence: Energising your brand’s creativity with the power of myth

Abstract

Because mythology and marketing both influence wide audiences, this paper argues that using the functions of myth in brand advertisements can increase their impact and memorability. Focusing on the psychological, sociological and cosmological functions of myth as described by mythologist Joseph Campbell, a close analysis of mythic motifs in ‘Daniel Craig’ by Belvedere Vodka, ‘Imagine the Possibilities’ by Mattel and ‘Hilltop’ and ‘It’s Magic When the World Comes Together’ by Coca-Cola demonstrates that contemporary metaphors can convey impact similar to that of myth. Practical applications of these ideas require no overt mythic images. Instead, this paper suggests a three-step approach for brand teams to incorporate the functions of myth: identify changes the brand can imagine, select metaphors for representing those changes and amplify those metaphors in the manner of myth with larger-thanlife characters, situations and images. These steps constitute an approach to a meaning-based branding strategy rooted in archetypal intelligence and the power of myth. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.