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In the latest Coolest Brands 2024 ranking, our top three brands - YouTube, Netflix, and McDonalds - have maintained their positions from 2023. However, YouTube has now surpassed last year's champion, Netflix, to claim the coveted first place spot.
LEGO has jumped into the top ten this year driven in main part by boys who have noticed the the brand’s collaborations with key fandoms such as Minecraft and most notably Fortnite.
The brand constantly finds new ways to connect with the kids by hitting current themes and trends – their Botanical Collection, appears to be an attempt to up-age the brand, attracting girls in particular. Brands that appeal equally to both boys and girls tend to do well as demonstrated by the top ten.
However, in this year’s list the highest movers have a distinct boy or girl appeal.
Step forward the highest mover, up a whopping 35 places to number 49 on our list – Crocs.
Whilst rising in popularity with both boys and girls, it’s the latter who have really driven the brand up our list. Exemplifying the post-pandemic shift to loungewear, Crocs have been spotted on Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid and Justin Bieber.
An Amazon top seller in 2023, the secret to their appeal lies with the shoe charms and gems the end you have something that you made!” – Jake (Jibbitz) allowing kids to simultaneously personalise their shoes and curate collections. Girls have also driven Squishmallows up 29 places into the top twenty at number 18.
Girls love the product for its self soothing effects and cute aesthetics.
The endearing plushies with character faces are collectible, squishy and huggable, with a soft sensory feel that triggers happy feelings in kids. They also feed the desire for collectability.
It’s not just the girls who have shaken up our lists this year.
Fortnite and its publisher Epic Games have risen thirteen and twelve places respectively.
Fortnite now sits at number 47 but at 6 overall for boys indicating just what an impact the game has on boys’ lives.
After reaching its highest ever player numbers in 2023 following the launch of Fortnite OG it’s clear that the game – and Epic – have claimed serious cool points amongst boys. New entrant to our top 100, board game UNO jumps in at number 46 this year.
Uniquely designed to appeal to all ages – often putting the youngest member of the family in the driving seat – the game has cleverly innovated with different versions and has leaned firmly into the trend of shareability and families desire to come together.
Having parted company with FIFA this year, EA Sports relaunched the hugely popular soccer game as FC 24 and achieved the most successful release of the game to date. So it’s no surprise that EA Sports have entered our top 100 at number 65.
Featuring the Premier League, La Liga, UEFA Champions League and pretty much every competition in both the men and women’s game alongside super-regular updated features and a whole host of influencers raving about the product, EA Sports made FC 24 the most-played game by boys in the UK.