Brands Losing Luster With Teens

NEW YORK — American brands are losing some luster with teens around the world — and right here on their home turf.

Once dominant, U.S. labels now account for just half of the 10 brands that are favorites among teens globally, based on a new study entitled “GenWorld,” conducted by Energy/BBDO and divulged exclusively to WWD. That’s down from the eight U.S. brands that made teens’ top 10 back in 1995, when Chip Walker, executive vice president at Energy/BBDO, last did comparable research, for the former agency D’Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles.

Leading the list of names most popular with teens in 2005 was Sony, followed by Nokia, Adidas, Nike, Colgate, Nestle, Cadbury, Coca-Cola, M&Ms, and Kodak.

For complete coverage, see tomorrow’s WWD.