_(Need to read our introduction to the 12 core brand archetypes? [It's here](http://inkspiller.co.uk/blog/2016-01-15-are-you-a-creator-a-magician-or-a-sage-part-2-of-the-archetypes-series ""))_
Do you remember the 1980s Nescafe couple and their story of yuppie love played out over a cup of Gold Blend? What began with a spark of instant attraction, simmered on slow burn toward a full declaration of love over 12 adverts which gripped the nation in a ‘will they, won’t they?’ story. For our younger readers who don't remember this, it features Giles from Buffy looking impossibly fresh faced and handsome...
In the first 18 months of the famous advertising campaign, sales of Gold Blend instant coffee leapt by 20 percent. By the time the campaign was over, this figure had leapt to an incredible 70 percent increase in sales. Gold Blend became the sophisticated and seductive catalyst for yuppie love, moving the brand up-market and ensuring customer devotion through the public’s fascination with Sharon and Tony’s romance. This hugely successful ad campaign also truly embraced the [brand personality](http://www.inkspiller.co.uk/blog/2016-01-08-why-personality-is-everything-in-business-part-1-of-the-archetypes-series "bp") of the Lover, which we're looking it in this latest installment of our brand archetypes series.
(Re-live the ad [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLRJu-dS704 "nescafe") with bonus soundbites from its stars and fans too )
The Lover (also known as romantic, harmoniser, intimate, sensualist or seducer) is an archetype that embodies beauty, rich sensory experiences and the good things in life. Lover brands celebrate the physical joys of being human, fostering intimacy and bliss in their consumers. As with the Gold Blend Couple, the success of brands that evoke the sensual and erotic is hinged upon their subtlety and the implication of sexuality, rather than more explicit and overt imagery.
As a [brand personality](http://www.inkspiller.co.uk/blog/2016-01-08-why-personality-is-everything-in-business-part-1-of-the-archetypes-series "bp"), the Lover is commonly adopted by gourmet, indulgent food and drink, as well as brands within the beauty, fashion and cosmetics industries.
### An overview of the Lover Archetype
**Mission:** To attain intimacy and experience pleasure.
**Values:** Pleasure. Devotion. Passion. Appreciation.
**Personality attributes:** Affectionate. Tactile. Charming. Charismatic.
**Brand examples:** Chanel. Häagen-Dazs. Victoria Secret. Estee Lauder. Nescafe.
**Characters:** Follow the link to our [Pinterest Board](https://uk.pinterest.com/inkspillers/lover-archetype-characters/ "lover pinterest") of Lover characters from TV, film and literature.
**How can we express our Lover identity?**
1) Use passionate, adjective-rich language and word choices.
2) Create tactile experiences that play to all five senses.
3) Tease and flirt with consumers- make them feel adored with affectionate language.
4) Create a strong emotional response and connection.
### How have other brands expressed this archetype?
**Haagen-Dazs** are masters of seduction, from their curvaceous logo with it’s softened, rounded edges, to their sumptuous, evocative flavours, ‘Midnight Cookies and Cream’ in particular. Their identity as a Lover brand was cemented by their advertising in the era of the Gold Blend Couple, the 1980s, with their mission of being ‘dedicated to pleasure’ playing out in adverts which focused on evoking sophisticated indulgence.
More recently, their well established Lover [brand personality](http://www.inkspiller.co.uk/blog/2016-01-08-why-personality-is-everything-in-business-part-1-of-the-archetypes-series "bp") has been used to emphasise the naturalness and purity of their products, with the ‘Nothing is better than Real’ campaign, which links human desire and emotion to the real, non-synthetic flavours.
In this way, Haagen-Dazs have been able to use the strength of their Lover [brand personality](http://www.inkspiller.co.uk/blog/2016-01-08-why-personality-is-everything-in-business-part-1-of-the-archetypes-series "bp") to subtly shift the focus of their advertising to keep up with a more health conscious consumer.
**Chanel** enjoyed celebrity endorsement at a time when such a thing was virtually unheard of, from the archetypal icon of female sexuality and seduction, Marilyn Monroe. Monroe revealed she wore nothing more than Chanel No. 5 to bed in the early 1950s and revitalised an already iconic brand.
**Not sure if your brand is a Lover?** Don’t forget that your brand is probably a mix of two or three archetypes. We’re going to be exploring all of them over the next few weeks. So do please sign up on the right and we’ll be sure to keep you updated. Not just on Archetypes but other creative ways to bottle your brilliance and build your brand.
