Levi’s, MTV, and Coca-Cola Receive Brand Hall of Fame Honor

From Oct. 23-25, marketing leaders from top brands and agencies convened in Banff, Canada for The Gathering 2024. Founded in 2013 by Cult Collective, the three-day summit features speaking sessions, workshops, and special events, like night gatherings and intimate, off-the-record chats, to promote career-building and community among marketers. A highlight of the summit is the Tony Hsieh Gala, a black-tie awards ceremony named after the late, former chief executive officer (CEO) of Zappos. While the event celebrates emerging brands, leadership, and culture, this year a new honor was introduced: the Brand Hall of Fame. The inaugural inductees include Levi’s, McDonalds, NFL, Coca-Cola, and MTV. “The goal is to have 100 brands from the past 100 years that have demonstrated hall of fame-worthy success and contribution,” Chris Kneeland, co-founder of Cult Collective and The Gathering, told ADWEEK. “We're looking at a lifetime or generations of impact, not just [brands that] had a good 2024. We don't even consider a brand as eligible until their 25th birthday.” The Brand Hall of Fame honor Eleven finalists were invited to attend and accept the honor, but only those who are willing to travel to Banff and present at the ceremony are inducted, said Kneeland. The brands that didn’t attend—Apple, Nike, Starbucks, Ford, Cadillac, and Sears—will remain on the ballot for future years. “There are football players and rock stars that have been on the ballot for years, but have never actually been inducted,” said Kneeland. “So we're kind of copying that hall of fame methodology.” Brands are chosen through a nomination process that allows anyone to nominate, whether it be an agency nominating its client, university students selecting a brand they admire, or the brand putting itself up for the honor. The nominations are then run through a brand strength tracker from research firm BAM Analytix. It uses AI to sift through data in order to determine the top 20 highest-scoring brands based on brand equity, consumer connectivity, and ability to influence consumer decision-making. “We were really happy to learn that the data methodology, with which we could score brands, could go backwards in time,” said Kneeland. “We realized, if we can actually measure the most notable brands of the past century, that's an interesting story to tell.” The top 20 are then reviewed by the event’s selection committee which comprises founders and CEOs from agencies, brands, academia, and media. The committee evaluates each brand based on eight criteria: longevity, geography, pervasiveness, mastery, resilience, ethics, cultural impact, and financial performance. They then narrow it down to around 10 finalists, which are invited to Banff to be inducted during the Tony Hsieh Gala. At the ceremony, honorees are expected to present their brand story and ultimately contribute artifacts to a physical Brand Hall of Fame, which Kneeland said is in the works. The Brand Hall of Fame Class of 2024. Winner’s circle The recognition allowed Levi's to reflect on its history and branding since its inception in 1853. “We're a company that's almost 175 years old, but one of the ways that we continue to stay relevant is by thinking young, reimagining, [and] connecting with young fans,” Tracey Panek, historian director of Levi Strauss & Co. Archives, told ADWEEK. Panek, who is on Levi’s marketing team, said the ceremony was like “a Grammys moment,” affirming that the brand is on the right path. She also believes the honor has been long overdue in the brand space. “I think going forward, people are going to want to be a part of it,” she said. “It's a recognition by the people who understand and know in the community what it takes to get to that level.” Amy Campbell, chief marketing officer (CMO) of Showtime, MTV Entertainment Studios, and Paramount Media Networks, echoed that sentiment, saying the honor was a “great reminder for our entire team that their work continues to have an impact.” She also said being on-site served as “a tremendous opportunity for us to strengthen ties among powerful brands to drive even more meaningful change together in the future.” Chris Hunsaker, senior brand director at Coca-Cola, who accepted the honor on behalf of the brand, said he walked away “not only with inspiration to bring back to my work, but also with appreciation for emphasis on wellness, human connection, and vulnerability.” He added that the recognition will inform Coca-Cola’s marketing strategy by reminding the company of its responsibility to lead and prioritize optimism. Ryan Galili, McDonald’s senior director of global brand and creative strategy, added: “This recognition is a testament to how McDonald’s entire global marketing community, past and present, takes big creative swings daily to build bold, culture-driving campaigns that have connected so deeply with millions of fans worldwide.”

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Levi’s, MTV, Coca-Cola, and McDonald's Among First Brand Hall of Fame Inductees

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