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Wunderman Thompson reveals world’s most inspiring brands for 2022
Mumbai: On Friday, Wunderman Thompson revealed that Google, Apple, Samsung, and Amazon are the most inspiring brands in the world.
Wunderman Thompson’s proprietary diagnostic tool, “Inspire Score: Top 100 2022,” proves that inspiring brands are able to grow their market share more quickly and charge a higher premium for their products and services than their competitors.
Wunderman Thompson’s Inspire Score is a proprietary diagnostic tool that measures a brand’s inspiration status and uncovers the brand attributes that fuel business growth through their ability to inspire people.
As per the report, Google once again takes the top spot as the most inspiring brand in the world today, while Apple, Samsung, and Amazon remain in the top four for the second year running, cementing their position as powerful inspiration engines thanks to their ability to place themselves at the centre of people’s lives — and stay there.
Colgate has taken the fifth spot for 2022 as they strive to reimagine a healthier future for all people, their pets, and our planet.
Commenting on the report, Wunderman Thompson global chief executive officer Mel Edwards said, “As the world’s foremost researcher on inspiration, we have again proven that there is a strong correlation between inspiration and brand growth. The Inspire Score demonstrates how inspiring brands can drive growth in market share and command a price premium, which is increasingly important in the face of these changing economic conditions. The brands at the top of our list have shifted with the zeitgeist and placed themselves at the centre of people’s lives, perfectly positioning themselves to take advantage of inspiration as a powerful lever for growth.”
“This year’s Inspire Score has taught us that a brand’s inspiration status and, therefore, propensity to grow, is highly dynamic. As the focus of people’s lives changes, so may the things that inspire them. Google, Apple, Samsung, and Amazon have once again scored highly given their ability to elevate consumers, make them feel like they’re making a popular, exciting choice, and motivate them to accomplish their goals, but 30 per cent of the Top 100 Most Inspiring Brands in the World for 2022 were not in the Top 100 last year. This reminds us that there is everything to play for when it comes to inspiration—these are metrics that brands can impact, thereby moving the needle on growth,” added Wunderman Thompson global chief strategy officer Neil Dawson.
Other key insights from the study include:
There have been strong gains for mobility brands such as Tesla and Uber as the world has opened up again post-covid, with a large number of automotive brands also featuring in the top 100.
Social media brands have also seen gains, showcasing their role in animating people’s lives and social interactions, both physical and virtual. The inspiring power of brands such as Instagram and WhatsApp also continues to grow, with TikTok making the top 100 for the first time this year.
Streaming brands continue to inspire, too. Netflix is now in the top 20, and Disney+ is a new entrant in the top 100, out-inspiring even its master brand.
Impulse brands have done well, perhaps because life is becoming a bit more spontaneous again, and beer, spirits, and treats have all risen.
The Inspire Score: Top 100 was first launched in 2020 as part of Wunderman Thompson’s global brand study, Inspiring Growth, the world’s largest ongoing research project into inspiration. This chapter explores why brands need to be inspirational, how inspiration drives growth, and what brands can do to inspire their customers. Meanwhile, the annual list of the Top 100 Most Inspiring Brands in the World tracks and analyses the brands that are best at inspiring their customers, revealing how inspiration affects a brand’s ability to drive growth in market share and command a price premium.
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Barista partners Ginny Weds Sunny 2 with mango campaign
Cafe chain blends cinema buzz with summer menu and 20 per cent offer.
MUMBAI: Love may brew slowly, but marketing clearly doesn’t especially when coffee meets cinema and mangoes steal the spotlight. Barista Coffee Company has partnered with the upcoming hindi film Ginny Weds Sunny 2 as its official beverage partner, in a move aimed at tapping into youth culture through entertainment-led engagement. The collaboration is not just a logo placement exercise. Instead, Barista is translating the film’s high-energy vibe into its cafés with a themed summer menu titled “Main Hoon Mango”, accompanied by a limited-period 20 per cent discount on combo offerings across outlets.
Actors Medha Shankr and Avinash Tiwary feature in the campaign, seen engaging with the mango-themed menu inside Barista cafés, a visual cue designed to blur the lines between reel and real-life consumption moments.
The strategy reflects a broader shift in how consumer brands are leveraging hindi film industry not just for visibility, but for immersive, on-ground engagement. By embedding the film’s narrative into its product experience, Barista is aiming to drive footfall, especially among younger audiences who increasingly seek experiential touchpoints over traditional advertising.
Barista Coffee Company CEO Rajat Agrawal described the partnership as both a branding and growth play, focused on expanding reach beyond the existing customer base and aligning with evolving consumer preferences.
The emphasis on a seasonal, flavour-led hook mango, one of India’s most culturally resonant ingredients adds a timely layer to the campaign, aligning with summer consumption trends while riding on the film’s promotional momentum.
For Barista, the move is part of a larger positioning shift. Rather than operating purely as a coffee retail chain, the brand is increasingly framing itself as a lifestyle destination, one that intersects with entertainment, conversation and shared experiences. By integrating cinema into its physical spaces, Barista is effectively turning cafés into micro-extensions of the film’s universe, where consumers do not just watch a story unfold but participate in it sip by sip.
The 20 per cent offer further nudges trial, lowering the barrier for consumers to engage with the themed menu while amplifying recall through a tangible incentive.
Brand-film collaborations are hardly new, but their execution is evolving. Where earlier partnerships relied on co-branded ads or product placements, the current playbook leans towards immersive storytelling and retail integration.
In that sense, Barista’s “Main Hoon Mango” push is less about promotion and more about participation inviting consumers to experience a slice of the film within a familiar, everyday setting. As the film industry continues to act as a cultural amplifier, such partnerships underline a growing truth, in today’s attention economy, it is not enough to be seen brands must be experienced.
And if that experience comes with a mango twist and a cinematic backdrop, all the better.
