DownsideUpDesign

This is the second year I’ve been invited to contribute (I’m a Purple List member y’see) and it’s always interesting to see how the final report plays out. So just who are the top 15 brands in the world?

1. Google
2. Apple
3. Jamie Oliver
4. MIT
5. Ace Hotel
6. IKEA
7. Nike
8. Twitter
9. Foursquare
10. Nintendo
11. Facebook
12. Starbucks
13. Lady Gaga
14. Nokia
15. American Apparel

Companies are judged on their innovation, corporate and environmental responsibility, their relationship with the broader community and , somewhat nebulously, imagination. Yeah, you’ll have noticed there’s not a single automotive brand in this years list (and last year, we only managed to get Zipcar in there) but when you have once-gold brands doing things like this and this, it’s little wonder.

Note to the automotive industry: Must. Try. Harder.

To download the full report, replete with explanations of the rankings, just click here.