Rethinking hero archetypal branding: Investigating the effects of authenticity and flawed archetypes on brand attachment and self-congruence

Research by marketing and advertising scholars indicates a strong relationship between brands that reflect a consumer’s self-schema and the consumers themselves. Strong consumer–brand relationships and self-image congruity have been shown as factors that increase brand attachment, which in turn influences positive word-of-mouth and intent to buy. These concepts, however, have not been thoroughly extended into the realm of archetypal advertising and marketing. When archetypes have been examined in relation to brand attachment and self-congruity, the research has been confined to traditional, idealistic conceptualisations of archetypes. Current research indicates, however, that consumers, especially Millennials, may be yearning for authenticity in advertising and branding. A quantitative study among Millennials was conducted to determine the impact on brand attachment and self-congruency of depicting humanistic flaws for two ‘hero’ Jungian brand archetypes, Nike and Microsoft, in advertising. This paper discusses the findings of this current research, which indicates that hero brands that have implemented authenticity and flaws in advertising may drive higher levels of brand attachment, but evidence of strong self-congruity is lacking.