Brand Archetype Creator: creative innovator with a vision

Does your organization use creativity to solve big problems? Do you make a unique vision a reality? Then the Creator might be the right brand archetype for your organization. The Creator pursues an ideal, develops a vision, and wants to inspire. Creators take a leading role in innovation, using creativity and imagination to develop a new product and shape their vision. In this article, we tell you more about the motivations and expressions of Creators and show the differences between various well-known Creators. We also provide you with two B2B examples of Creators from business services and industry. So read on quickly to discover if the Creator brand archetype really fits your organization!

Brand Archetype Creator

A Creator is naturally creative, headstrong, and resourceful. With this, the Creator offers its customers innovative solutions and new possibilities. High quality is very important to the Creator; they strive for the perfect product. Here, it is not about ‘being the best’ but ‘offering the best solution’ that leads. But as with every archetype, there are different forms of the Creator.

One thing all creators have in common is that they do it entirely their own way and have no regard for conventions. Car manufacturer Tesla is a perfect example: If no one makes electric cars, then we will do it ourselves!

Example Brand Archetype Creator: Apple

A typical example of a Creator brand is Apple, with the most recent example being the iPhone. Smartphones have now become the standard, and Apple has sold over a billion iPhones, but 12 years ago, it was different. The iPhone was introduced as a combination of an iPod and a phone in one, which also gave you access to the internet. The first smartphone was here, opening a world of new possibilities. Apple managed to gather a large group of fans who joined the vision behind the product: revolutionizing the mobile phone. A much larger group, however, did not understand the appeal at all.

Example Brand Archetype Creator: Lego

A very different example of a Creator brand archetype is LEGO. While Apple goes for minimalist design with calm colors like black, gray, and white, LEGO is colorful, cheerful, and vivid. Of course, LEGO generally has a much younger target audience, which is reflected in the design of the products. But the vision is also a world apart from the iPhone. The iPhone was the result of a new perspective on a mobile phone; LEGO’s goal is to inspire, with the customer as the creator. The company’s slogan is “supporting a more creative and resilient society,” and both in text and visuals, everything revolves around imagination, fun, and learning.

Apple and LEGO are, of course, two world-famous brands, and it remains difficult to identify with them, especially if you operate in a very different market. That is why we provide two more detailed examples below, from business services and industry.

Creator Brand Archetype Example Business Services: Adyen

The Dutch company Adyen may not be known to everyone, but it is definitely a Creator. A global leader in finance due to its innovative vision and corresponding product. Adyen is an online payment platform that makes payments much easier for customers. Customers no longer have to send invoices themselves; the platform supports hundreds of currencies and payment methods and actively combats fraud. For Adyen’s customers, this means they can always accept payments. Additionally, the company collects data that allows customers to analyze, optimize, and personalize payment processes.

The vision behind Adyen was developed in 2006 by two Dutch entrepreneurs who had already achieved success in the financial world. The existing payment systems, a ‘patchwork of systems and outdated infrastructures,’ did not adequately support growing global trade. “This can be better and easier,” the gentlemen thought, and founded Adyen in 2006. This vision and the Creator brand archetype are clearly reflected in the company’s slogan: ‘the platform built to simplify and accelerate global payments.’

The Creator is also reflected in the company’s name; Adyen is Surinamese for ‘starting over.’ This partly traces back to the founders, who had already started a financial system and sold it successfully; with Adyen, they had to start over. It also stands for the creation of Adyen, a completely new payment system built from nothing.

Adyen’s design consists of simple lines with lots of white and Adyen green. A simple style fitting their message of simplification. This is combined with colorful photos and videos focusing on people and transactions. With this, Adyen shows its focus on optimizing the customer journey and ease of use for the customer and end-user. At the same time, visualizing the transactions provides a clear illustration of Adyen’s added value. This solves a typical challenge of a creator brand: clearly showing the customer what the added value of innovation means for them.

The customer is central to Adyen’s marketing strategy. Innovation and convenience are merely means to help the customer move forward. This is reflected in the wording, such as “accept payments everywhere,” “business not boundaries,” and “create a seamless payment experience.” With Adyen, the customer is able to create the best payment experience themselves. The customer is not only central but also a key part of the marketing strategy. Videos and customer cases from companies in various industries worldwide form the content strategy. All endorse the convenience of Adyen, but especially the possibilities to personalize the payment process.

Creator Brand Archetype Example Industry: Siemens

Although everyone knows Siemens, most people probably wouldn’t immediately call the brand a Creator. And yet it clearly comes through in the slogan: ‘ingenuity for life.’ The German company is best known to the general public for its household products but is also active worldwide in various industries such as energy, healthcare, and mobility.

Siemens describes itself as a pioneer in a changing world and provides answers to new questions in various industries. For Siemens, this means developing groundbreaking innovations in different industries to contribute to building a sustainable future, whether it concerns intelligent infrastructure, sustainable energy, or digital transformation. In Siemens’ expressions, we clearly see the Creator in terms such as “we make real what matters,” “innovation for #ClimateAction,” and “innovations: how we will shape the future.”

Where Adyen places the customer at the center of its marketing strategy, Siemens actually broadens this by placing the world at the center. The world is changing, so new solutions must come. Siemens tells this story, for example, with its content strategy highlighting challenges in various industries, such as the new energy hub for South America in Bolivia. Complete with illustrations and drone footage of the power plant, Siemens shows how it contributes to this project.

Advantages of Brand Archetype Creator

Do you already fully recognize yourself as a Creator, or are you still unsure if this is really the brand archetype for you? What can the Creator brand archetype actually mean for your brand, and what should you watch out for? The strength of a Creator is the vision; the Creator realizes what seems impossible in the eyes of the customer. Customers align themselves with this vision and are willing to pay extra for it. Successfully expressing the Creator brand archetype contributes to your positioning as a visionary, pioneer, or creative genius. A positioning that others gladly join.

Pitfall Brand Archetype Creator

Creativity and innovation also bring Creators their greatest challenge: perfectionism. A mediocre idea or product is the greatest fear of a Creator, which can cause them to get lost in the search for the perfect idea. Are you a Creator? Then pay extra attention to maintaining productivity and effectiveness within your organization.

How to Express the Creator Brand Archetype?

The vision of a Creator brand is leading for the brand identity. Creativity and innovation are important values, but as we have seen in the examples, this can be expressed in different ways. Are your ideas impossible in the eyes of the customer? It may take some persuasion to prove your added value to the customer. Show why your brand is unique and how you help the customer move forward. Customers rally behind your brand because they are convinced of your vision. No boring campaigns but a lively and inspiring reflection of your product and organization.

Similarities and Differences in Brand Archetypes: Creator, Outlaw, and Magician

It can be difficult to distinguish the differences between brand archetypes. For example, the innovative core of a Creator is also found in the Magician and the Outlaw. The difference between these brand archetypes lies in the motivation.

The Outlaw is motivated by a desire to rebel against the current order. With its extravagant ideas, the Outlaw wants to shock and disrupt. Outlaw products are often suitable for people who feel excluded or want to distance themselves from society.

In contrast to the Creator, the Magician makes your dream come true. This brand archetype is found in all magical moments and builds on an understanding of fundamental laws or systems. The Magician is responsible for many truly groundbreaking products.

Like the Outlaw, a Magician seeks change, but the Magician looks for this change within themselves and thereby inspires their surroundings. Where the Outlaw offers liberation, the Magician provides inspiration and wonder.

So if you are unsure which brand archetype fits your brand, go back to the core of your story. What is your goal, and how do you want to achieve it, but especially why is that your goal? Then, for example, look at the Outlaw, the Magician, or our page about brand archetypes.