Jester Brand Archetype
The definition of a Jester is the “professional Joker or ‘fool’”.
When it comes to Brand Archetype, the Jester is also referred to as Trickster, Entertainer, Comedian, or Joker. This all boils down to the Jester archetype being captivating and entertaining. All 5 of those descriptions communicate humor and light-heartedness.
The Jester exists to have fun and fill their lives and the lives of others with enjoyment. You won’t find them taking anything too seriously. They pride themselves on living in the moment, having a great time, and enjoying life. They want to share their light-heartedness with their consumers. The Jester uses their talents to bring smiles to peoples’ faces. They are largely optimistic, striving to see the good in bad situations.
In business, the Jester brand archetype likes to laugh and have fun. They encourage their audience to laugh along with them. The goal of the Jester is to help others let go of stressful thoughts, come out of their shells, and party a little; they aren’t trying to make people drastically change the way they behave. The Jester wants to bring a little fun into the lives of their dreamt client for a moment in time. The Jester may use unconventional or over-the-top marketing. Organizationally, they nurture a fun-loving and loose company culture.
A Jester’s customer base tends to be those with a similar attitude. Their customers appreciate their approach to life and generally have a similar approach. The Jester is clever and creative, bringing a freshness to their products and services. Their customers feel young, playful, and energetic when interacting with the Jester. The Jester aims to avoid anything that could be viewed as boring. That is important to their audience as they also do not like to be bored. The Jester’s vulnerability is time being wasted.
Let’s dive into some Jester brands in the world.
First up, we have Ben & Jerry’s. Ben & Jerry’s is a really playful company. It was started in 1978 by 2 friends in college who were obsessed with happiness and ice cream. They are known for creating clever ice cream names like Boom Chocolatta or Netflix and Chill’d. The company is innovative and frequently comes out with new flavors. They have been doing cross-over collaborations with celebrities, bringing freshness to their ice cream selection and expanding their reach. Ben & Jerry’s incorporates humor in their flavors and into their advertising. Their company mission is “Peace, Love, Ice cream.” It is that light-hearted mentality that solidifies them as a Jester. Jesters are also able to make people feel good. They aren’t only funny… Ben & Jerry’s is also a vocal advocate of current social issues. They are well-versed in ongoing issues within the US and the world. The company never hesitates to issue statements and actions on these issues based on what they believe is right.
Fanta is another example of a Jester brand. Fanta is uniquely themselves. Their products are fun with bright colors, which distinguishes them from other soda companies out there. Their products feature delicious fruit flavors which gives them some more separation from competitors. They make their customers feel young. Do you remember the commercial they had years ago? It went like, “Fanta Fanta, Don’t you wanna, Wanna Fanta?” The commercial features women wearing brightly colored dresses and salsa dancing. It was so fun and catchy. I still think of that jingle when I see Fanta products. Okay, that commercial makes me feel old… but you get what I mean right?! It's fun, energetic, and creative. Coca-cola describes Fanta as “the brand that intensifies fun.” Their goal is to “convey light-hearted enjoyment through a variety of different flavors.” Fanta is actively trying to avoid boredom in their consumers and in their products. They lean into the Jester’s goal to have fun; that is their brand's main driver.
So how does the Jester activate their archetype in practice?
Strive to have customers associate your brand with good times and memories. This mostly translates into witty advertising campaigns that are viral-worthy.
Using the right amount of humor to connect with your audience is KEY!
Don’t let your jokes fall flat, overdo the humor, or get into trouble crossing moral or legal lines.
Know that the Jester archetype is not for every brand! If you are in an industry that requires some seriousness, like banking or cybersecurity, a Jester type personality may just turn you into a joke. Be aware of that!
Are you a Jester Brand Archetype? Read about color palettes and font pairings for the Jester, or curate a mood board from some of our favorite Jester Inspiration images on Pinterest.
Cheers to having fun and bringing spontaneity to all your dreamy clients!
