Because the collective unconscious is dynamic, Jung said that he believed there were an unlimited number of archetypes. So why do we mostly hear about 12? Mark and Pearson’s seminal work, The Hero and The Outlaw, introduced twelve common archetypes in the branding world. Their set of 12 archetypes served as an organizing principle for Archetypes in Branding.  The fundamental 12 expand to 60 — five archetypes to a family. Another shift from Mark & Pearson’s work is that Archetypes in Branding promotes The Citizen, as the fundamental head of the family that includes The Regular Guy/Gal or The Everyman. This reprioritization represents an increasingly important brand embodiment in our world today.

 

Based on input from real-world use cases, we've reorganized the family groupings.
The Guardian has moved FROM the Caregiver Family TO the Sovereign Family and become its fundamental archetype or family head. The Ambassador has moved from the Sovereign Family (now Guardian) TO the Caregiver Family.
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DEVELOP YOUR UNIQUE BRAND CHARACTER

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While 60 might seem overwhelming at first, with greater specificity and nuance users can achieve greater differentiation in their brand stories and greater resonance with stakeholders. Whether you use 12 or 60, or more, to guide your branding decisions is less important than the benefits of shared ownership that comes with the exploration and commitment that are possible using an archetypal lens.​​