This blog post features the 12th brand archetype in the series, which explores how brands use literary archetypes to stand out and be remembered.

The Visionary. The Wizard. The Transformer.

If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.

— Nikola Tesla

Have you seen magicians at work? They often leave you in awe and utter amazement. Magicians are always curious, seeking to understand the laws of the universe. Visionaries of a better future, they want to make dreams a reality. But they also defy what common people believe to be the ‘reality’ as more often than not, people’s perceived reality is limiting them. Think: David Copperfield or Marie Kondo or Steven Spielberg.

The Magician personality attracts customers who prefer products that can make them grow wiser and more influential. They are drawn to messaging and advertisements that are dramatic, moving, and imaginative.

How Magicians Bring Their Brands to Life

If you are in the business of transforming people and giving customers a novel experience — a magical moment — when they use your services or products, this brand archetype is the perfect fit for you.

Think of transformative moments — like from sickness to good health (pharmaceuticals), from wrinkles to younger-looking skin (beauty or dermatological products and services), from feeling lost to having insight and guidance (life coaching), from being inefficient at work to being highly productive (technology or apps that boost productivity).

Across your company’s communication and collaterals, your tone of voice should be expansive, eloquent, and stirring. Your aim is to make customers feel captivated and think, “I want to experience that”.

Categories that Tend to Have the Magician at the Foundation

• Entertainment
• Beauty
• Innovative technology

Examples of Magician Brands

Walt Disney. Over the years, Disney is famously associated with wonder, imagination, and magic. Magic is at the core of everything they do, from one customer touchpoint to the next, as this is what’s supercharging their business growth. 

Coca-Cola. Perhaps one of the most memorable campaigns Coca-Cola made was “Open Happiness”. When you open the bottle, one could just imagine summer bursting out of the bottle.

And lastly...

Step Change: Strategy, meet creativity. A magician brand offers to transform and improve something ­— and this is exactly what Step Change is out to do for businesses who want a step change and a path to winning in a VUCA world. We solve the Big 6 Challenges businesses face, creating magic when strategy and creativity collide. 

Learn how world-famous brands humanise their businesses and how they engage with their customers using their core brand archetypes.