30 breakthrough brands in 2022

Esports brand 1000 Thieves, queer and trans-focused healthcare company Folx Health and environmental firm Doconomy are among the nation's 30 fastest-rising brands, according to Interbrand's annual Breakthrough Brands report. The report—which is assembled by gathering data on more than 300 brands through social media, analyst audits, and financial data—includes brands that are making waves in sectors including healthcare, climate sustainability, cannabis and the emerging Web3 category. To qualify for the list, brands must have financial growth and a notable U.S. presence, as well as benefit from media attention. Interbrand, which is owned by Omnicom Group, touts what it describes as a successful track record of “identifying game-changing challenger brands before they become household names,” citing previous winners Athletic Brewing (2021); Square and Slack (2017); and Sweetgreen and Headspace (2016). See the 2021 Breakthrough Brands list here. Brands on the rise A look at up-and-coming brands disrupting their categories Read more here This year’s list includes several brands in the buzzy Web3 sector, including Bored Ape Yacht Club, a well-known NFT brand that has broken into pop culture via partnerships with brands such as Adidas and music festivals including Lollapalooza. Its inclusion on the list comes as the NFT market experiences a drop in demand and trading volume. Interbrand Strategy Director Naeiri Zargarian in an email interview said that while the “crypto market is volatile…it should regain strength in the long term,” adding that “most of the brands on the list are built on blockchain technology but are not crypto-related, they are building the Web3 infrastructure at large.” Also on the list is Chainalysis, which aims to regulate crypto by launching investigations and providing the industry with regulatory solutions; blockchain infrastructure company Figment, which maintains proof-of-stake (PoS) blockchain networks by helping investors participate and earn yields on their holdings; and MoonPay, which facilitates payments for crypto buyers. Healthcare brands making the list include those re-examining patient experience, particularly with marginalized populations, according to Interbrand. In healthcare, “customer-centricity and design thinking are bleeding into the cold, sterile medical sector because patients deserve the same level of service they receive in other industries,” Zargarian stated. Folx Health provides services such as online consultations and medication delivery to LGBTQIA+ people. The list also includes Kindbody, which focuses on end-to-end care around fertility, and healthcare company Nomi Health. The Utah-based company seeks to streamline healthcare operations through methods that include eliminating insurance companies and billing departments, creating a “one-stop shop” of specialists instead of referring patients, and directly paying healthcare providers. Nomi drew negative headlines in April when it was investigated by the federal government for its COVID testing, which was labeled by the government as not in compliance with federal standards, according to Deseret News. In a statement to Ad Age Nomi said: "Independent audits have shown what we did in Utah, Nebraska, Florida and eight other states was instrumental in helping those states minimize the worst of COVID’s damage. As part of our work we engaged in regular compliance audits with the federal government for our testing sites and laboratories. We welcome that oversight, and we have rapidly delivered on every request federal agencies have made of us at Nomi Health." The list also shows celebrity-founded pot brands gaining notice amid the fast growth of recreational cannabis. These include Houseplant, created by actor Seth Rogen, and Jay-Z’s brand Monogram, which ran campaigns from the agency Mischief @ No Fixed Address that took a critical look at laws banning cannabis use. When it comes to sustainability, brands focusing on climate change and reducing carbon footprints are dominating, according to Interbrand. Doconomy makes a carbon emissions calculator to show brands how much carbon their product uses. The calculator won the Sustainable Development Goals Grand Prix at Cannes Lions last year. The brand also created a carbon-tracking credit card that tracked consumers’ carbon consumption, which won the Creative eCommerce Grand Prix. Another carbon emissions brand on this year’s list is Arcadia, which allows people to track their electricity prices and switch to greener alternatives. Also making the list is food technology company Eat Just, Inc., which produces vegan egg product Just Egg. The brand featured Jake Gyllenhaal and Serena Williams, who both invest in the product, in its ads in May. Another food brand on the list is plant-based chicken producer Daring Foods, which has also received investment from rapper Drake. Drake has also invested in 100 Thieves, which was founded in 2017 and runs teams that compete in video game tournaments. It has worked with multiple brands including AT&T, Truly Hard Seltzer and Lexus. Interbrand credits 100 Thieves with balancing “a modern design sense with streetwear flair, conveying that all are welcome to join in.” Below, the full list of Interbrand’s breakthrough brands.

30 breakthrough brands in 2022

Featured Stories