Games and Tech Brands Gain Ground In CoolBrands 2007 Report
PlayStation and Nintendo storm top ten. Xbox at 33. EA at 128.
James Dean: cool because he is dead.
CoolBrands 2007 proves that tech-obsessed early adopters and hardcore gamers are well and truly cool, not that we needed some jumped-up market research company to tell us this, but still, it’s proof positive that gaming has fully achieved the mainstream acceptance in many quarters that it has been denied for far too long. Whether this is a good thing for such rebels against the mainstream as us gamers, is open to all sorts of questions.
The report just in informs us that, “The top twenty CoolBrands suggests that geeks are fighting back – with 50% of the list falling in the online, technology or gaming categories. Technology and gaming fans nationwide will be delighted to receive confirmation of what they have no doubt always believed, yet struggled to prove: geeks are cool.”
The press release continues, in an increasingly patronising tone, “Whilst the typical bedroom-dwelling, computer-loving nerd is far from most people’s perceptions of what is cool, the prevalence of technological brands in the CoolBrands list would suggest that, after years of school ground bullying, nerds can finally have their moment in the limelight.”
OK, you soft southern, panty wetting marketing types, is this some kind of competition to see how many times 'nerd' and 'geek' can be used?
Nicolas Roope, founding partner of Poke London looks at the origins of this nerd/geek archetype in a little more detail, commenting, ”The nerd archetype is always a bit of a techie…Tech is almost by definition not cool. Cool is drinking beer, doing drugs and burning your homework to the delight of attractive leather-clad onlookers. Tech is staying in because you’re too spotty and socially inept to hang out and because there’s too much maths homework to conquer. In fact why hang out at all, 'it’s illogical.'"
“Technology brands are disadvantaged; to achieve cool status at all is a minor miracle. So how can you make something that works, performs a desired function, that is usable and practical and yet has that easy air of that rare desirable distinction? The killer formula draws strength from heritage and from the fans and supporters loyal to their cause but uses this to amplify new ideas that respond to the times and to the new landscape of technical possibility.”
CoolBrands’ claims to be the definitive list of the world’s coolest brands - determined by a YouGov poll of over 2,000 members of the public and the CoolBrands Counci and those brands with a background in technology, online or gaming are overwhelming the coolest with iPod, YouTube, Bang and Olufsen, Google, Playstation, Apple and Nintendo, in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 9th places respectively.
Even more leading games brands came in a little lower on the list of the top 200 coolest brands, with Xbox comes in at 33 and EA Games at 128.
Here’s this year’s top twenty from the CoolBrands 2007 chart:
1. Aston Martin
2. iPod
3. YouTube
4. Bang and Olufsen
5. Google
6. Playstation
7. Apple
8. SPOnG.com†
9. Nintendo
10. Virgin Atlantic
11. Ferrari
12. Ducati
13. eBay
14. Rolex
15. Tate Modern
16. Prada
17. Lamborghini
18. Green & Blacks
19. iTunes
20. Amazon
†Alright, we're joshing you. Number 8 is sexy underwear maker, Agent Provocateur.
The report just in informs us that, “The top twenty CoolBrands suggests that geeks are fighting back – with 50% of the list falling in the online, technology or gaming categories. Technology and gaming fans nationwide will be delighted to receive confirmation of what they have no doubt always believed, yet struggled to prove: geeks are cool.”
The press release continues, in an increasingly patronising tone, “Whilst the typical bedroom-dwelling, computer-loving nerd is far from most people’s perceptions of what is cool, the prevalence of technological brands in the CoolBrands list would suggest that, after years of school ground bullying, nerds can finally have their moment in the limelight.”
OK, you soft southern, panty wetting marketing types, is this some kind of competition to see how many times 'nerd' and 'geek' can be used?
Nicolas Roope, founding partner of Poke London looks at the origins of this nerd/geek archetype in a little more detail, commenting, ”The nerd archetype is always a bit of a techie…Tech is almost by definition not cool. Cool is drinking beer, doing drugs and burning your homework to the delight of attractive leather-clad onlookers. Tech is staying in because you’re too spotty and socially inept to hang out and because there’s too much maths homework to conquer. In fact why hang out at all, 'it’s illogical.'"
“Technology brands are disadvantaged; to achieve cool status at all is a minor miracle. So how can you make something that works, performs a desired function, that is usable and practical and yet has that easy air of that rare desirable distinction? The killer formula draws strength from heritage and from the fans and supporters loyal to their cause but uses this to amplify new ideas that respond to the times and to the new landscape of technical possibility.”
CoolBrands’ claims to be the definitive list of the world’s coolest brands - determined by a YouGov poll of over 2,000 members of the public and the CoolBrands Counci and those brands with a background in technology, online or gaming are overwhelming the coolest with iPod, YouTube, Bang and Olufsen, Google, Playstation, Apple and Nintendo, in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 9th places respectively.
Even more leading games brands came in a little lower on the list of the top 200 coolest brands, with Xbox comes in at 33 and EA Games at 128.
Here’s this year’s top twenty from the CoolBrands 2007 chart:
1. Aston Martin
2. iPod
3. YouTube
4. Bang and Olufsen
5. Google
6. Playstation
7. Apple
8. SPOnG.com†
9. Nintendo
10. Virgin Atlantic
11. Ferrari
12. Ducati
13. eBay
14. Rolex
15. Tate Modern
16. Prada
17. Lamborghini
18. Green & Blacks
19. iTunes
20. Amazon
†Alright, we're joshing you. Number 8 is sexy underwear maker, Agent Provocateur.
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