Millennials Reveal Their 105 Favorite Brands, From Gucci to Amazon

Marketing firm Moosylvania surveyed 1,000 millennials to find their favorite brands.
Amazon, Nike, and Amazon have topped the list for years.
Brands associated with travel, including airlines, fell off the list in 2021.
See more stories on Insider’s business page.

Millennials still can’t get enough of Apple, Nike, and Amazon. Marketing agency Moosylvania has once again compiled its “Millennials’ Top 100 Brands” based on a survey of 1,000 millennial consumers. While some of the top brands stick around year after year, other changes are distinct. No airlines are on the list in 2021 after a year stuck at home, though United Airlines and Southwest both made the list in 2020.

“We’ve learned that the brands who prioritized emotional connections either joined the list or improved. Inversely, brands who dropped in millennial ranking struggled to create two-way conversations with their fans who needed them most amidst unprecedented challenges,” Chief Strategy Officer Andrew Cohen said in a statement.

Here are the top brands according to millennials.

Note: The rankings are Olympic-style, with several ties.

Table of Contents

100 (tie). Monster Energy

Energy drinks remain popular among millennial consumers.

100 (tie). Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton was ranked the world’s most valuable luxury brand in 2019, and it’s kept a top stop for years.

99. Kraft

Kraft is one of more than 20 brands owned by Kraft Heinz, one of the largest food and beverage companies in the world.

95 (tie). TJ Maxx

Discount retailer TJ Maxx plans to open new stores in 2021, bucking the retail trend of store closures from the pandemic.

95 (tie). Roku

GettyImages 1204852519 — Roku hits 50 million active accounts.

Insider picked two Roku products as the best streaming sticks of 2021.

95 (tie). Nordstrom

Nordstrom Pandemic — A Nordstrom in New York City in June.

Nordstrom closed stores and laid off workers over the last year, and has started investing more in dropshipping.

95 (tie). Champion

Apparel brand Champion has catered to gamers this year with a gamer collection and a collab with Nintendo.

94. Acura

Acura released the NSX supercar in 2020.

90 (tie). Ralph Lauren

2020 was devastating for many fashion brands, and Ralph Lauren reported a 57{14cc2b5881a050199a960a1a3483042b446231310e72f0dc471a7a1eddd6b0c3} drop in sales.

90 (tie). Nestle

Nestle is known for candy, but it recently invested in Essentia alkaline water and Freshly prepared meal company.

90 (tie). Dove

Dove sells products including deodorants and body wash, owned by Unilever. Sales of hygiene products were down early in the pandemic.

90 (tie). Arby’s

A $5 meal from Arby's — A $5 meal from Arby’s

Arby’s is owned by Inspire Brands, the parent company of Sonic, Buffalo Wild Wings, and other fast-food brands.

87 (tie). Subaru

The Subaru CrossTrek and Forester were two of the fastest-selling new cars during the pandemic.

87 (tie). Red Bull

Red Bull is the second energy drink brand on the list, proving the product still has

cache
with buyers.

87 (tie). Patagonia

Patagonia has long been a favorite for its outspoken activism on environmental and labor issues.

86. Motorola

Some Millenials are nostalgic for the original Motorola Razr. The company released an updated version in 2020 as part of a new wave of foldable phones.

83 (tie). Rue 21

In October 2020, the retailer had about 700 stores across 46 states. The CEO says the retailer is focusing on experiential retail.

83 (tie). Hulu

hulu original movies — Disney highlighted Hulu’s original films during its Investor Day presentation last week.

Hulu
‘s engagement was up 40{14cc2b5881a050199a960a1a3483042b446231310e72f0dc471a7a1eddd6b0c3} during the pandemic, which was a boon for streaming, the company said.

83 (tie). Calvin Klein

Calvin Klein’s parent company, PVH, announced it would close 162 stores and lay off 12{14cc2b5881a050199a960a1a3483042b446231310e72f0dc471a7a1eddd6b0c3} of its workforce in July.

80 (tie). Ulta

The beauty retailer announced plans to open Ulta stores in hundreds of Target stores in 2021.

80 (tie). Chipotle

Chipotle Manhattan — West 169th Street Chipotle.

Chipotle was one of the restaurants to grow and open new locations, including investing in drive-thrus, while the rest of the industry suffered the effects of the pandemic.

80 (tie). Chanel

The last year was tough for big fashion houses, including Chanel, as they were forced to cancel runway shows and shutter stores.

79. Reebok

After years of disappointing sales, Adidas announced plans to sell Reebok in February.

77 (tie). Whole Foods

whole foods voters — Shoppers outside of a Whole Foods Market.

The Amazon-owned grocery store has more than 500 locations in the US and UK.

77 (tie). Sephora

Sephora is another beauty retailer, and it began a partnership with Kohl’s to open mini Sephora locations in the stores.

73 (tie). Michael Kors

Michael Kors sells jewelry, watches, accessories, and more. In 2018 parent company Capri Holdings bought Versace.

73 (tie). Lexus

Lexus sells luxury sedans, SUVs, and hybrids.

73 (tie). Dollar Tree

Dollar stores, including Dollar Tree, have done well over the last year and actually opened new locations.

73 (tie). Android

Android smartphone — Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Android makes smartphones that compete with iPhones, and Insider recommends some models.

69 (tie). Torrid

Torrid is a clothing chain that sells plus-size clothing for women.

69 (tie). Mountain Dew

Mountain Dew is owned by PepsiCo, with new flavors including Mountain Dew Frost Bite Zero Sugar.

69 (tie). Great Value

Great Value is one of Walmart’s in-house brands.

69 (tie). Dodge

2020 Dodge Grand Caravan. — Dodge Grand Caravan. FCA

Dodge sells SUVs, sports cars, and minivans.

68. Best Buy

Gadgets retailer Best Buy is one of several chains closing stores this year.

65 (tie). Doritos

Doritos chips are a staple as demand for comfort food leaped in 2020.

65 (tie). Bank of America

Bank of America has been raising the salaries of associates to compete with other big banks.

65 (tie). Audi

Audi is working towards a 30{14cc2b5881a050199a960a1a3483042b446231310e72f0dc471a7a1eddd6b0c3} electric US lineup by 2025.

64. YouTube

YouTube, Youtuve partner program — Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Google-owned video platform YouTube led to the rise of influencers.

63. Wendy’s

Fast-food chain Wendy’s joined the chicken sandwich wars in 2020.

62. Converse

converse all stars — Converse shoes. PYMCA/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Converse are some of the most iconic sneakers of all time, according to sneaker experts.

60 (tie). Trader Joe’s

Trader Joe’s is beloved by customers for in-house brands and frequently changing inventory.

60 (tie). Honda

A Honda Odyssey car is displayed outside Honda Motor Co's showroom in Tokyo January 31, 2013. REUTERS/Issei Kato — A Honda Odyssey car is displayed outside Honda Motor Co’s showroom in Tokyo. Reuters

Honda sedans, like the Accord, are a mainstay on the market.

59. Lululemon

Lululemon grew sales during the pandemic as consumers turned to athleisure.

58. Pizza Hut

Pizza Hut is owned by Yum Brands, which also owns KFC and Taco Bell.

56 (tie). Levi’s

Levi’s sales were slightly down thanks to the turn towards athleisure, though some experts predict that trend will soon reverse.

56 (tie). Costco

Costco in-store sales grew during the pandemic, and now the big box store is reopening food courts.

55. Dr. Pepper

Dr. Pepper is owned by Dr. Pepper Snapple, the parent company of Canada Dry, Crush, and other brands.

54. Tesla

Tesla makes electric cars and is famously led by Elon Musk.

53. Coach

A shopping bag from the luxury brand Coach is seen along Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California, May 21, 2013. REUTERS/Fred Prouser

A shopping bag from the luxury brand Coach is seen along Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. Reuters

Thomson Reuters

The designer handbag, shoe, and clothing brand said in August last year that half of its new online customers were Gen Z or millennials.

51 (tie). Ross

ross store — Jeffrey Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Off-price apparel retailer Ross is taking advantage of pandemic supply disruptions, saying they always create inventory opportunities for the retailer.

51 (tie). Nissan

A car is reflected in the bonnet of a Nissan car in the showroom at Nissan's global headquarters in Yokohama south of Tokyo, February 9, 2015. REUTERS/Thomas Peter — A car is reflected in the bonnet of a Nissan car in the showroom at Nissan’s global headquarters in Yokohama south of Tokyo. Reuters

The Japanese carmaker planned to make an electric vehicle with Apple, but talks fell through a month ago over branding issues.

50. HP

The long-time computer maker produced over 5 million 3D-printed parts for personal protective equipment for healthcare workers and donated $21 million in products and grants to underserved communities during the pandemic, a spokesperson said.

49. Facebook

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks on stage during a town hall with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Facebook's headquarters in Menlo Park, California September 27, 2015. REUTERS/Stephen Lam — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks on stage during a town hall with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Facebook’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California. Reuters

The social-media behemoth that forever changed how people interact also owns popular sites Instagram and WhatsApp.

48. H&M

Fashion giant H&M announced plans to close 350 stores and open 100 new ones as it focuses more on online sales in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

46 (tie). Pink

Pink, the girls’ apparel and lingerie store, is owned by L Brands, along with Victoria’s Secret and Abercrombie & Fitch.

46 (tie). Gap

The San Francisco-based apparel retailer is expecting a boom in sales post-pandemic, with Gap Inc. CEO Sonia Syngal saying she’s “quite optimistic.”

45. Victoria’s Secret

The well-known women’s lingerie retailer, owned by L Brands, faced a tough year of store closures and lawsuits last year.

43 (tie). Shein

shein pop-up — Guests attend SHEIN Summer Pop Up Preview Evening on May 23, 2019 in London, England. Dave Benett/Getty Images for SHEIN

American Teens are obsessed with this Chinese fast-fashion retailer.

43 (tie). Aldi

Discount-grocer Aldi defied the pandemic last year, opening more stores as consumers cooked more at home.

42. American Eagle

American Eagle survived and thrived during the pandemic, thanks to its TikTok presence and body positivity message.

41. Burger King

The fast-food chain caused a raucous last month after launching a campaign titled, “Women belong in the kitchen,” which was meant to show off its new initiative to help female chefs rise to leadership roles.

40. eBay

The 25-year-old online resale store is shedding its old-school image and has even found a way in with young buyers looking to purchase sneakers.

39. Jeep

The car brand is well-known for popular vehicles like the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler, and Jeep Compass.

38. Vans

Vans made California skate culture a global phenomenon, and young people love it.

35 (tie). PlayStation

Andrew House, president and global EO of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., talks about the Playstaion Vue during the Sony Playstation E3 conference in Los Angeles, California June 15, 2015. REUTERS/Kevork Djansezian — Andrew House, president and global EO of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., talks about the Playstaion Vue during the Sony Playstation E3 conference in Los Angeles. Reuters

PlayStation, the video-game console brand made by Sony, has released its latest generation of consoles with the PlayStation 5, but it’s still sold out nearly everywhere.

35 (tie). Old Navy

This beloved brand, still owned by Gap, has been outfitting American families for nearly three decades.

35 (tie). Hershey

hershey promo — Cutting the ribbon on opening day. AP Images

The chocolatier is best known for its Hershey Kisses and chocolate bars that pair well with a summer favorite: the s’more.

34. KFC

KFC — Omar Marques/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

The fast-food chain has joined the so-called chicken-wars with other businesses like Popeye’s and Chick-fil-A, as it added a new chicken sandwich to its menu earlier this year.

33. Dell

The 37-year-old company is best known for its laptops and desktops, like the Dell XPS and Inspiron.

32. Bath & Body Works

bath & body works store.JPG — Brendan McDermid/Reuters

Bath and Body Works sells soap, hand sanitizer, and fragrance products, and sales boomed during the pandemic.

30 (tie). Puma

The German footwear-maker is known for its basketball shoes, and most recently, its partnership with music artist Dua Lipa, Rolling Stone reported.

30 (tie). Kohl’s

The Midwestern department store is best known for its discount deals and celebrity partnerships.

29. Kroger

The Cincinnati, Ohio-based grocery retailer has boomed amid the pandemic as shoppers have flocked to grocery stores to fill their needs.

27 (tie). Mercedes-Benz

E Class Family (6) — 2021 Mercedes-Benz E450 4Matic sedan. Mercedes-Benz

The German automaker, known for its luxury vehicles, debuted its C-class sedans earlier this year.

27 (tie). LG

FILE PHOTO: A man looks at LG Electronics' TV sets, which are made with LG Display flat screens, at its store in Seoul, South Korea, April 26, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File Photo — FILE PHOTO: A man looks at LG Electronics’ TV sets, which are made with LG Display flat screens, at its store in Seoul. Thomson Reuters

The South Korean conglomerate is known for making everything from washers and dryers to TVs. But recently it decided to stop making smartphones.

26. Toyota

The 2020 Toyota 86 Hakone Edition. Alanis King

The Japanese carmaker, known for owning the hybrid car market, is stepping into the electric vehicle realm this year with three new cars.

25. Taco Bell

taco bell drive thru — A Taco Bell employee delivers an order to a customer at the drive-up window of the restaurant on March 31, 2020. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The Mexican-inspired fast-food chain, known for popular items like the Crunchwrap and Chalupa, is working to hire thousands of workers as the economy begins to re-open.

24. Gucci

Millennials love this fashion brand, Insider’s reported previously. Celebrities like lil Pump and Kylie Jenner have pumped up this brand through social media, as well.

23. Jordan

NBA legend Michael Jordan holds up an autographed AJ19 shoe, the latest design in the Air Jordan shoe line, at a Hong Kong news conference. AP:Anat Givon — NBA legend Michael Jordan holds up an autographed AJ19 shoe, the latest design in the Air Jordan shoe line, at a Hong Kong news conference. Anat Givon/AP Photo

The brand, owned by athletic-maker Nike, was inspired by basketball legend Michael Jordan.

22. Disney

disneyland park — Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images

The entertainment giant struck a new chord with fans when it launched its own streaming service in 2019, that featured new shows like the Mandalorian, as well as classic Disney films.

21. Nintendo

The Japanese company went from a playing-card business to a gaming giant, with products like the Nintendo Wii and Switch, over the course of its 132-year history.

20. BMW

The German car manufacturer is known to have the go-to fancy vehicles, with options like the BMW 3 series.

19. Netflix

The online-streaming giant released popular new hits this year like the Queen’s Gambit and Bridgerton, which it said was its top series of all time.

18. Chevrolet

2020 Chevrolet Silverado LTZ 010 — Chevrolet Silverado. Chevrolet

General Motors, founded in 1908, is the owner of Chevrolet and maker of popular vehicles like the Chevy Silverado and Chevy Bolt.

17. Chick-fil-A

chick fil a drive thru worker — Brynn Anderson/AP Photo

Chick-fil-A was the overall favorite brand this year in the US as Americans turned to fast food for comfort amid the pandemic.

15 (tie). Starbucks

starbucks pike place — The Starbucks sign is seen on the window of the World’s first ever Starbucks coffee shop. Epics/Getty Images

The Seattle-based coffee chain is well-known for its long menu of fan favorites and specialty drinks.

15 (tie). McDonald’s

ronald mcdonald 2019 — Ronald McDonald of McDonald’s attends the 93rd Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 28, 2019 in New York City. Noam Galai/Getty Images

The world’s first fast-food chain recently added three new chicken sandwiches to its menu to compete with other chains with similar offerings.

14. Under Armour

The athletic apparel-maker grew to contend with industry big shots like Nike but fell into a bit of a rut last year.

13. Ford

ford factory — Workers build Ford F-150 trucks at one of the automaker’s assembly plants. Associated Press

The 118-year-old car manufacturer is known for making everything from trucks, to compact cars, and now even to electric vehicles.

12. Pepsi

Old Pepsi bottles — NurPhoto/Contributor/Getty

The beverage-and-snack-maker has gone through multiple brand transformations over the years to remain relevant with younger generations, Insider reported.

11. Microsoft

Microsoft employees — Bryan Thomas/Getty Images

The tech company, founded by billionaire Bill Gates in 1975, surpassed a $2 trillion valuation earlier this month.

10. Coke

Bottles of Coca Cola — Regis Duvignau/Reuters

This brand has been under fire recently from both sides of the political spectrum for originally not speaking out against Georgia’s new voting law and then subsequently taking a stance against it.

9. Sony

This hardware maker is probably best known for creating the PlayStation video game console. It recently launched the next-generation console, the PlayStation 5, but it’s been tough for consumers to purchase.

8. Google

Google Office Logo Chrome

Alphabet Inc.’s Google logo. Ng Han Guan/AP Photo

Ng Han Guan/AP Photo

The Mountain View, California-based tech giant is said to also have one of the best, most diverse workplace cultures, according to employees.

7. Adidas

The German athletic apparel-maker is turning its focus back to its namesake brand after announcing it would sell the Reebok brand it bought in 2006.

6. Target

Target cart — hopping carts sit inside a Target store on May 23, 2007 in Chicago, Illinois. Scott Olson/Getty Images

This retailer is the “perfect place to discover new and innovative brands,” as it sells dozens of products from startups, Insider reported. Target also launched its own athleisure brand a year ago, capitalizing on people’s desire to wear comfy clothes during the pandemic, and it already hit $1 billion in sales — marking a faster pace than popular brands like Lululemon.

5. Samsung

samsung semiconductor headquarters — Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters

The smartphone-maker released its brand new line of Galaxy phones early this year, which included the S21, S21+ and the premium Galaxy S21 Ultra models. Samsung is the second-biggest seller of smartphones in the US, after Apple, with 16{14cc2b5881a050199a960a1a3483042b446231310e72f0dc471a7a1eddd6b0c3} of the market.

4. Walmart

walmart new test stores — The apparel signs at Walmart. Walmart

The Arkansas-based retail giant is reaching out to younger generations through influencers and its partnership with TikTok, where users can buy Walmart fashion products without having to leave the app.

3. Amazon

amazon fake blimp — CGI Amazon blimp. @g_awd via Twitter

When Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos first saw the new A-Z smile logo for the company in 1999, he loved it. “Anyone who doesn’t like this logo won’t like puppies,” he reportedly said.

2. Nike

Nike Beijing — Customers lined up outside the Nike flagship store on the opening day at Wangfujing Street on January 20, 2021 in Beijing, China. VCG/VCG via Getty Images

Nike has been known for its unforgettable ads and unparalleled storytelling abilities. The shoe-maker is known as a marketing-first company to most, but its new CEO has been working to transform Nike into a technology-first company.

1. Apple

An Apple logo is seen at the Apple store in Munich, Germany, January 27, 2016. REUTERS/Michaela Rehle

An Apple logo is seen at the Apple store in Munich. Reuters

Thomson Reuters

Apple was dubbed the most valuable brand in the world this year, surpassing Google and Amazon, based on a ranking from Brand Finance Global 500. Last year, the company released four new models of the iPhone: iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max.