Licensed to chill - Aston is coolest brand thanks to Bond

Published on Sunday 28 September 2008 22:30

UP AGAINST sleek phones, cutting-edge sound systems and gold-plated watches, the item people most aspire to buy is a British car – because it's just so cool.

Aston Martin has again topped the list of the coolest brands in the UK, beating the likes of the iPhone, Apple, Bang & Olufsen and YouTube for the pole position.

At 94 years old, the brand has become as famous for its recurring role in the James Bond film franchise as for its performance as a sports vehicle.

Advertising experts said it showed how highly rated Aston Martin has remained for the public who aspire to own one of the cars, and perhaps be as cool as 007.

More than 2,500 people and brand experts were surveyed by YouGov for Cool Brands, a group which provides consumer opinions to companies.

People were asked to rate brands according to six categories – how stylish, innovative, original, authentic, desirable and unique they were.

Public opinion only counted for 30 per cent of the final vote, with the experts' views making up the rest.

Pam Scobbie, associate director of PR firm Burt Greener Communications in Glasgow,

said Aston Martin was a classic brand but the company had put a great deal of effort into continuing to appear relevant and modern, including product placement in the Bond films.

"It's very aspirational," she said. "Increasingly, people have aspired to own things and now feel that is achievable. There's not the big divide between what celebrities own and what consumers can get."

Ms Scobbie represents Irn-Bru – which did not make the 500 "coolest brands" in the survey – and added: "We're not going to have a woman draped over a can of Irn-Bru in our next commercials, but you could see that with Aston Martin."

The poll saw a split between iconic brands such as Rolex and Dom Prignon and of-the- moment names such as Google and Nintendo.

Apple climbed from seventh position in 2007 to number three, while the iPhone took over the number two spot from the iPod, which dropped off the top 20 completely.

Internet firms Amazon and eBay were also knocked from the list in the 2008 survey.

Cool Brands council chairman Stephen Cheliotis said: "There's no doubt James Bond is one of the UK's most recognisable icons and the recent update has seen 007 come back cooler than ever before.

"The (Aston Martin] brand is indelibly linked with James Bond because of how the film and James Bond sums up a lot of what it means to be smooth, stylish and cool."

Dr Ulrich Bez, chief executive of Aston Martin, added: "Aston Martin is a cool brand because it has cool cars and cool people and a hot soul. In the end, they are a piece of art."

TOP 20

1.Aston Martin

2.iPhone

3.Apple

4.Bang & Olufsen

5.YouTube

6.Google

7.Nintendo

8.Agent Provocateur (right)

9.Rolex

10.Tate Modern

11.Dom Prignon

12.Virgin Atlantic

13.Ferrari

14.Ducati

15.PlayStation

16.Sony

17.Nike

18.Boss

19.Facebook

20.Lamborghini