Table of Contents
“Cheerfulness is the best promoter of health and is as friendly to the mind as to the body.” – Joseph Addison – English essayist, poet and dramatist. [1]
Introduction
The Jester aims to make you smile. A certain irreverence permeates their brand, something wholly different from the other archetypes. They love to have fun and have their customers have fun as well. Jesters are optimists that try to see the good in every situation.
Also known as Fool, joker, trickster, practical joker, huckster, comedian
Key Characteristics
- Motto:You only live once
- Driving desire:To live in the moment with full enjoyment
- Goal:To have a great time and lighten up the world
- Greatest fear:Being bored or boring others
- Strategy:Play, make jokes, be funny
- Weakness:Frivolity, wasting time
- Talent:Joy
Description of the Jester
A Jester, at first glance, is all about fun and letting loose. Taking a second glance, however, reveals deeper nuance than what first meets the eye. While the Jester is skilled at getting its customers to relax, have fun, and live in the moment, its true skill is perspective. Jester brands excel in bringing in innovation and looking at ideas and concepts in new ways. The Jester aims to make themselves relatable – most often through humor. Companies that deal with serious subjects, like a house burning down, often utilize Jester branding to soften the blow of their heavy subject matter.
This brand has three levels. The first and least mature level is a brand expressed by the sentiment of living for joy and entertainment above all else. The second level has this same feeling but tempers it with intelligence. A Jester is often portrayed as clever, and more mature Jester brands will lean hard into this image. The third and final level is illustrated by the Jester realizing that the key to its success is fully living in each moment and appreciating them as they come and go.
An excellent example of a Jester brand is Geico. Insurance can be an uninspiring business type to market. Geico realized this and decided to change their approach. The Geico gecko is recognizable by millions. He brings a soft touch of humor to the Geico commercials that create a memorable experience for the customer. Geico also makes comedically focused commercials, putting the people in them in wacky situations designed to make the customer laugh. Geico then swoops in and saves the day. The customer had a good time, and Geico did their job by marketing their services in a memorable way.
- Brand Motivations
- Funny
- Amusing
- Entertaining
- Happiness
- Laughter
- Togetherness
- Positivity
- Irreverence
- Brand Challenges
- Offensive
- Insensitive
- Ineffective
- Annoying
- Brand Strategy
- Promise and promote good-times and experiences
- Making people laugh
- Create happy memories
The Jester in the Wild
The following companies, organizations, and industries are good examples of the Jester.
- Archetype Examples: Motley Fool, Muppets, Axe, Old Spice, M&Ms, Geico, GoDaddy, MailChimp, Taco Bell, Jack In The Box
- Industries: Entertainment, Children’s Activities, Rich Food, Fast Food, Comedy Clubs, Candies and Desserts, Insurance, Web Companies
Conclusion
The Jester brand’s ultimate goal is to provide a new perspective on a service or product in such a way that their customer relaxes and has fun. Their marketing campaigns are always memorable as they are inherently different from other companies. The Jester aims to be unique and quirky, and never dull and boring.
[1] Bond, D. (2020 June 13), “Joseph Addison” Retrieved from: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joseph-Addison