The Trickster

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COVER STORY The Trickster: myth and magic in great ads Peter Cooper and Simon Patterson, CRAM International, demonstrate that there is a potent archetype lurking in much great advertising

HE TRICKSTER is one of the switch brands, buy on impulse and world’s great archetypes, present in change routines in the supermarket. T art, religion, politics, entertainment During this intermediate state, the mind and great advertising. Great advertising is open, creative and susceptible. employs the Trickster to entice, persuade The prince of Tricksters is Hermes, and seduce. We are all, in spite of our son of Zeus. As god of commerce and rational defences, subject to the Trickster. persuasion, he was the messenger of the It goes beyond the purely rational, to con- gods. He received a magic wand, the nect with our deeper emotional, social ‘caduceus’, that could inspire and and cultural selves. Here we review the dumbfound whomever it touched. As Trickster – ‘Delight Maker’ or ‘Divine Homer wrote of Hermes: ‘He mazes the Joker’ – and its special relevance to mod- eyes of those mortals he would maze, or ern advertising. And, not least, how wakes again the sleepers’ – not a far cry market research can grasp it. from great advertising. Symbolised by wings on feet and helmet, he became the Trickster origins god of movement. Not surprisingly, The Trickster archetype is that part of Hermes is the uncrowned prince of ourselves that secretly desires the fantas- modern advertising. tic, exaggeration, seduction and escape The Trickster archetype is at once from the mundanities of life. It is older moral and immoral, good and evil, and more primitive than modern logic, earthly and divine, outrageous and subtle, order and rationality, hovering on the magician, fool, clown, joker, jester, mischievous and primitive, infantile but borders of the personal and collective harlequin and enchanter. It occurs in all wise, deceptive but wondrous, self-cen- unconscious. In neuro-physical terms, it mythologies. In Greece and Rome, tred yet insightful. It combines these is buried deep in the brain’s limbic sys- Hermes/Mercury, god of commerce, conflicting impulses in ourselves and tem where primitive feelings lie, in profit and persuasion; in Hebraic our relationships with brands. This contrast to the rational workings of the culture, Jacob; in Norse myths, Loki, ubiquity accounts for its fascination and cerebral cortex. co-creator of the world; among the its power. The Trickster is the master of Ashanti of Ghana, Anansi, the spider- flux, perpetuating old illusions and trickster; in Japan, Susano, who plunged Trickster now creating new ones. It breaks taboos, the world into darkness by mistake; in In the modern world, the Trickster is stretches the mind and challenges the Polynesia, Maui, who captured the present in virtually every aspect of limits of belief.The Trickster represents sun to slow it down; among the human activity. It appears in film, video, the oppositions and contradictions of Indians of North America, ‘Wakdjunka’ cartoons, advertising – all forms of life; how we deceive ourselves that we – ‘the tricky one’. communication, including research are rational when we are not. Its myth All these myths have one thing in interviews. The filmic form and and magic are integral to human common: they teach what is outside the visual–verbal devices are important tools behviour. bounds of consciousness which research of the Trickster, now that the visual The role of the Trickster is well can often miss.The Trickster passes mes- image is such a dominant mode of documented in psychological and sages from our psychic selves, guiding communication and persuasion. A anthropological literature. Jung identified us, just as with modern advertising. It classic is ‘Batman’, where the Trickster is the Trickster – or ‘Divine Joker’ – as his appears particularly at moments of tran- both the Batman and the Joker. Bruce fourth archetype along with Mother, sition in the interplay between reality and Wayne, innocent and bemused, is Rebirth and Spirit.Trickster figures exist fantasy, during change and life-stage transformed into a super-hero, the in all cultures as shaman, sorcerer, crises.We see it at work when consumers positive Trickster, a black ‘bat’ with ➳

April 2001 Admap 29 © World Advertising Research Center 2001 COVER STORY

amazing powers, charged with repelling graveyard of fallen famous brands and the forces of evil. Jack Nicholson, the the future will see more. white-faced, green-haired Joker, is the evil side of the Trickster. Trickster advertising Other characters play important parts We have noted the presence of the Trick- in Trickster stories, like Batman’s ster in many advertising studies. The ‘guardian angel’ (Alfred, the butler), a Trickster often takes on an animal form, fair damsel (Vicki Vale), the forces of as in ancient cultures. Our continued good (the Mayor and the Police fascination with the half-animal, half- Commissioner), and a chorus of evil human is clear in Disney characters, (the Joker’s henchmen). cartoons, and a multitude of anthropo- Many public figures are ‘tricksterish’: morphic Tricksters in advertising.These In sport, Eric Cantona, Maradona, range from past advertising, like PG David Beckham, Muhammad Ali Tips’ chimps and Esso’s tiger, through In music, David Bowie, Michael to more modern examples like Bud- Jackson, Madonna, Marilyn Manson. weiser frogs, Peperami, Boddington’s In entertainment, Charlie Chaplin, cow, Motorola’s tortoise.The Trickster Mr Bean, Ali G, Chris Evans. exploits the primitive power of animals Theatre and film breed new Trickster within us.This was a favourite device of expressions, as do luxury, fashion and storytelling in native American cultures, the arts. Illusions are commonplace, where the Trickster was portrayed as distorting, confusing and pleasing to the coyote or raven, performing amazing senses. In science, too, the Trickster is at and extraordinary sexual feats. Else- work. Placebos are the Tricksters of Above: Hermes, ‘uncrowned prince of where it is monkey, hare, fox, spider, bat, medicine, creating effects well beyond advertising’ (Giambologna, 16th century) chameleon, fish, bird or dragon, again pharmaceutically active ingredients. with fantastical appearances and Politics abounds with Tricksters, Heroes are often born from humble magical properties, or a human with supported by their shamans or ‘spin origins, show early signs of superhuman animal mask or clothes. Physiognomy doctors’. George W Bush, Tony Blair powers, rise rapidly to prominence and and phrenology are critical to the Trick- and William Hague all have tricksterish struggle triumphantly against evil. ster – the brand’s inner character is qualities compacted into their public The hero invariably has a ‘guardian’ – expressed through outward appearances. image. ‘Tricksterishness’ is part of polit- the Trickster – who protects, guides and The Trickster regularly appears in ical charisma – we know they do not helps him perform tasks that cannot be quite mean what they say, but they done unaided – Merlin for Arthur, Alfred engage us none the less. for Batman, ‘Q’ for James Bond. ‘The Trickster creates The difference between the Trickster’s With all this success, heroes become heroes and then causes role in the past and now is that the over-confident and fall from grace, Trickster was more overt, a way of betrayed by hubris and the people they their downfall’ understanding and learning about the came to save. world.Today, the Trickster helps us cope This parallels the life cycles of brands exaggerated human form, like Levi’s Flat with the pace of modern, digital, dehu- and advertising. Eric, PlayStation’s Alien, the Metz manised life. It makes contact with our They often come from humble ‘Judder’, or super-human figures like real selves. It makes life ‘fun’. Since origins, show early promise and triumph Pirelli’s Carl Lewis.The brand takes on brands and advertising are the secular over competition, often with the aid of a their playful or serious image, suspending equivalent of religion, we need the Trickster ingredient or ‘USP’. disbelief. Nowadays, too, we see the Trickster to make sense of the complex, They too over-reach themselves and Trickster bringing machines alive, as in time-driven world. are betrayed – frequently by their own Thomas the Tank Engine and Bob the The Trickster creates heroes and then management, then by consumers. Builder. causes their downfall. Powerful tales – Marketing history is littered with Modern advertising incorporates the Hercules, Odysseus, King Arthur, Ziggy brands that were once hero Tricksters of Trickster’s oppositions or conflicts. In Stardust – describe the hero’s rise their time such as Rinso, Fry’s chocolate the ‘good’ role, the Trickster brand is and fall. and Austin cars. Each market has its own saviour and hero, as in household and personal care, or OTC medicines. In the their product area, successful Trickster Hawking ‘Specsavers’, Volvo ‘Babies’), ‘bad’ role, it represents the enemies – brands are almost ‘therapeutic’, recog- just as Hermes’ caduceus ‘mazes the dirt, sickness or sheer boredom. The nising popular hopes and fears. Focus eyes’ and ‘wakes again the sleepers’. Trickster recognises the complexities groups themselves have been satirised, as and dualities of modern life: we are in Rover’s ‘rejected by focus groups’ ad, Degrees of Tricksterism neither good nor bad, but both at the and in New Labour politics. Brands and ads vary in their degree of same time, composites of happy and The Trickster manipulates our minds ‘Tricksterishness’. Some ads offer little sad, hero and rogue. This increases in many ways, for example, by bringing beyond overt information.There is little credibility and empathy, e.g. Kronen- elements into the foreground, marking, of the Trickster in this – maybe a touch bourg ‘menage à trois’, the Mars ‘Man’ emphasising, stressing and contrasting, of exaggeration. At the other extreme, whose partner leaves him, and examples and creating new visual and linguistic the Trickster can make advertising like those in Oxo and Bisto advertising. structures. It is also accomplished at obscure and unrecognisable to most. An The Trickster makes great use of irony. ‘backgrounding’ – making the back- example a few years ago was Rutger In medieval times, the Fool’s Pope ground to pictures seem to disappear Hauer in ‘It’s not easy being a dolphin’ – satirised papal pomp at the Ass’s Festival. from attention.Yet we know background Guinness commercials that left most The congregation brayed like asses and or context play crucial parts in subliminal consumers bewildered and frustrated, the more ridiculous the noise the more communication, working below but meant a lot to ‘insiders’. Some pop this ‘pleasurable blasphemy’ was attention thresholds.The set, props and video forms have the same effect.What celebrated. Humour and irony permeated music are all critical to creating mood, is important is that their consumers the Trickster’s antics.The same is true in style and involvement. These are the struggle to understand because they the modern world, as we satirise, ‘silent’Trickster persuaders. enjoy the challenge, eg Bowie and Peter caricature, and lampoon our leaders and The Trickster has always been master Gabriel, or Pot Noodle’s ‘Ace of institutions. Modern advertising is of illusion. Modern film techniques, pop Spades’. Between the extremes the rife with satire and irony, including satire videos and music change cause and Trickster works at shallow or deep levels, directed at itself and the brand being effect, and create new concepts of space the former more transparent and play- advertised, for instance Tango, and and time. The modern Trickster uses ful, the latter more demanding, and the famous parody by Carling Black advanced techniques of illusion (e.g. more effective as a result. Label of Levi’s ‘Laundrette’. Instead of Peugeot 406 where we ‘see’ the driver’s The Trickster also exploits different claiming to be absolute authorities on emotions and memories, Stephen media, as outlined below. Cinema – there is a detached-from- reality experience in the cinema for the Trickster to appear on screen and from within ourselves, playing in the darkness. TV – the TV is a ‘companion in the living room’, enabling the Trickster to enter our lives, sometimes by stealth as defences lower, sometimes through sheer entertainment. It is at the transition between programmes, and between work and leisure. Posters – the Trickster is strikingly present, to attract attention through verbal and visual tricks. Magazines – mental involvement through reading allows the Trickster to emerge through the pages of ads, using the principles of eye movement and the halo effects of editorial. Internet – here the Trickster is still embryonic, but has already shown his power in dot.coms and ‘dot.gones’.We may expect more Tricksters online.

Creativity The Trickster can be discerned in ad agencies. Like shamans, creatives engage Above: The Trickster has always been a master of illusion (painting by Carlo Maria Mariani, Il in mysterious rituals. Their thoughts Mano Ubbidisce all’ Intelletto, 1987) emerge from dark recesses, only ➳

Consumers respond negatively to increasingly important, as brands move slick, bland, predictable ads from faceless from functionality to emotion. Branding corporations.They prefer ads that create and advertising appeal to our desires to new rules. This is precisely what great be enticed, convinced and seduced, in Trickster ads do – they break the rules spite of our rational defences. We are and create new ones, where the Trickster seeing a shift towards increasingly high works by stealth, or is so outrageous as to consumer expectations of advertising. be acceptable.There is undeniable mys- The consequences of the Trickster are: tery here, but such ads are intrinsically Creativity in marketing, branding and motivating, playful and engaging.This is advertising has more opportunity to not to say that all ads that break the rules express itself than may be suspected are effective, since they can also be Specific Trickster mechanisms – deceptive, subverting the brand’s values. anthropomorphism, illusion, irony – can How the Trickster is used depends on be developed to achieve greater effect the brand, category and target market, Research methods, quantitative and but its presence is necessary to achieve qualitative, must acknowledge the Trick- great advertising. ster in data collection and interpretation. The upshot is a compelling model of Above: Like shamans, creatives engage in The Trickster in market research the modern consumer mind, by which mysterious rituals The Trickster is central to the creative we can obtain a deeper understanding of processes in advertising. However, it is brands and great advertising. recognised when they appear. They difficult, complex (and slippery) for respond strongly to competition, as does market research to access and capture. A F Bandalier: The Delight Makers, Dodd Mead, the Trickster. Deadlines force out ideas. The Trickster is also at work in research New York,1918. They have an intense conviction they interviews as interviewers, consciously or P Cooper & S Patterson: The Trickster; a Theory are right and need an audience, chiefly unconsciously, influence the data they of Modern Branding and Advertising, ESOMAR: their own kind, to praise and award. collect, respondents lie, invent or create Excellence in international research, 2000. They resist control and research, for fear ‘worthy’ responses, and clients engage in P Cooper & S Patterson: The Trickster:Creativity it will strangle their creations. self-deception, wittingly or unwittingly, in Modern Branding and Advertising, MRS Creatives have a priestly quality about when interpreting data.This is why there Conference, 2000. them, and once fed with research and are so many criticisms of advertising C G Jung: The Archetypes and the Collective marketing objectives, emerge with cre- research. They apply methods that Unconscious, in H Read et al,eds The Collected ative executions.Their aim is to stretch cannot ‘see’ the Trickster. Due to the Works of C G Jung, vol 9, pt 1, ARK, 1972. consumer credulity in as compelling a mindset in such tests, the Trickster K Kerenyi: Hermes,Guide of Souls, Spring Pubs, way as possible, just like the Trickster. elements are destroyed in favour of Woodstock, 1996. Much of what these modern-day rational claims, which are often dull or P Radin:The Trickster, Routledge, 2nd ed, 1956. shamans do is not deliberate, but draws bland, lacking persuasive power. on unconscious ideas, fuelled by cotacts For research, the Trickster presents a with the Trickster within themselves. challenge. It is clearly wrong to use Peter Cooper is What can we learn from this? Great methods that cannot recognise it. Data CEO of CRAM International and Trickster advertising: collection and analysis – quantitative and chairman of Everyday Transforms ordinary ‘stuff’ into some- qualitative – must be freed of the con- Lives Ltd and thing extraordinary, a brand; the straints of rationality or prejudice, and QualiQuant Ltd. As a physical product is entwined with use approaches appropriate for detecting psychologist he is an symbols and meanings so the real and Trickster effects. For example, freer, expert on consumer motivation and MR, created worlds are as one more open interviewing, fun and playful- and works on brand Breaks taboos and conventions; the ness, identifying the negatives of slickness development around Trickster deliberately pushes, questions and blandness, patterns of unconscious the world. and extends the boundaries of logic and Trickster effects that go beyond superfi- rationality cial appearance. All this, of course, in the Simon Patterson is Fascinates and compels; we know we context of the brand and its vision. MD of CRAM are being sold to, but we also need to International, and director of CRAM enjoy our irrational selves; we become The future Asia. His speciality is accomplices to our own seduction The Trickster has a long history, and will exploring the consumer Is at the same time childish and adult, continue to appear in different guises in mind using extended simple and complex, foolish and serious, the future with new media, brands and creativity groups. He also lectures in the UK exaggerated yet practical; the Trickster is advertising to delight us. In fact in our and overseas on satirical, including satire on itself. view, the Trickster will become qualitative research.