The Rebel brand archetype provokes. They stand out from the crowd. Like the Creative, they resent conformity. However, they’re more roguish or aggressive about it. They enjoy going against the grain and avoiding the mainstream. They take pride in thinking for themselves. If taken to extremes, the rebel can become self-destructive.
The rebel brand can be summed up by one word: radical.
They come up with truly off the wall products. But unlike the magician, who creates just to create, the rebel is trying to solve a problem in a new way. Often, there is the implication that the novel solution is ‘common sense,’ or that it should have been there all along. The rebel brand, then, is not just innovating for the sake of innovating, they’re making the world a more logical place. But there’s a slight feeling of danger to this, as if they’re willing to go a tad bit too far to get the job done.
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Gain
Strengths
Color: Burgundy
Brand Promise: Change
Goal: To shake things up.
Strategy: Innovate with out of the box thinking yet provide practical solutions that are in demand.
Personality to project: The outsider, the strong silent type, the anti-conformist.
Ideal Customer: The rebel archetype appeals to customers who are tired of the same old thing. They want change, and they want it now.
Alert
Weakness
They can be perceived as argumentative, confrontational, or overly-dramatic. This has to be played very carefully in your messaging. You need to keep your finger on the audience’s pulse at all times and be ready to tone down the rebel attitude as soon as you see a conflict with the audience.
Suggested Color Palette
This is just a suggested palette. Colors should be selected based on a robust brand strategy and should be part of the brand identity development.
UBER
No company in recent memory has generated as much ire, nor inspired as much awe and loyalty as Uber has. The company has had its ups and downs, but there’s no doubt that it set out to do something different, and in that, it succeeded.
VIRGIN
Virgin is always pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Even the name was a stretch when the company was founded in 1970.
MTV
MTV revitalized the music industry with its music videos, but it was its rebellious nature that hooked an entire generation.
DOLLAR SHAVE CLUB
Dollar Shave Club hit the scene offering a novel solution: a subscription service that sent razors right to your door. Their messaging cleverly set them up as a rebel, rejecting the traditional shaving experience. They sought to help consumers escape the nicks and cuts caused by cheap disposable razors.