The Everyman
A Jungian Archetype, applied to Brand Identity
Belonging • Altruism • Stewardship • Respect • Fairness
It's everyone, get it? Every man brands are based on the idea that everyone belongs. They are about appealing to the masses, or to the most prominent audience that there is. They are known for being inclusive, and occasionally also progressive, communities. Everyman brands are supportive, useful, resourceful, and thoughtful. We enjoy supporting them because they support us.
Everyman brands sometimes show up as Advocates, Networkers, and Civil Servants. The qualities that arise are energy, passion, and collective action. Most nonprofit brands are in some way an Everyman brand, just as they are also partially a Caregiver brand - simply by the nature of what they do. However, when we think about an Everyman brand outside of these arenas, corporate giants have cornered this archetype and saturated it.
Everyman brands, when executed well, are curious, kind, accountable, and center service on public good. They focus on serving people in a way that's equitable, respectful, and encourages community. Everyman brands are notorious for sponsoring, hosting, or promoting positive relationships in the community in which they reside, because that's respectful.
Brand Examples:
Target, Old Navy, Google, IKEA, Walmart, M&Ms, Netflix, Goodwill, Home Depot
Everyman brands lean towards the 'primary' colors: red, blue, yellow. They are usually saturated and tend to be monotone (one one color + black + white), though brands also embrace the opposite - using all tones (rainbow). They also use humanist or grotesque fonts, which are considered the most legible and (shocker) human of all sans serif fonts.
You could use almost any template as is and be just fine - these are built with everyman brands in mind. However, you'll want to establish your own set of brand "norms", and it may take some time.
