These long-standing brands know the difference between classic and old

The honorees for the 2024 Brands That Matter heritage brands category have a long history of building trust and connection with their customers. From Bose partnering with famous musician Steve Lacy to H&R Block creating its own reality dating show, these brands are continuing to keep the new generations engaged and interested.

Better Business Bureau

The go-to place for scoping out business credibility, Better Business Bureau continues to ensure trust, integrity, and consumer protection for their users with resources such as business profiles, ratings, and scam-prevention tools. “The Sign of a Better Business” campaign generated more than 500 million impressions and 11 million YouTube video views. The BBB Scam Tracker was ranked as the Best Scam Fighting Tool of 2023, having helped prevent an estimated $24.3 million in potential fraud losses. The brand’s cultural relevance is reinforced by having the Home Depot, Coca-Cola, Ford, Goodyear, Dell, and Liberty Mutual in its network.

Bose

Bose has making people’s ears happy for more than 60 years. Over this past year, the brand stepped up its game, collaborating with singers like Charlie Puth and Anne-Marie. Another collab included rising star PinkPantheress, who performed at the product launch event for the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and Earbuds in New York. Bose also teamed up with Steve Lacy, an artist celebrated for blending diverse influences to create innovative soundscapes, giving him a canvas for a reimagined retro take on the Bose x Steve Lacy Ultra Open Earbuds and QuietComfort Headphones.

Behr Paint

Read about how the paint maker applied its DIY focus to social media.

Cloverdale

This past year, Cloverdale Foods took to the baseball fields with the Minnesota Twins. During one of the games, some of the players decided to touch Cloverdale’s Tangy Summer Sausage for luck before going up to bat. The next two players hit back-to-back home runs, sparking an incredible 12-game winning streak. That’s when the Rally Sausage was born. Cloverdale was already the Official Bacon of the team, but when their Summer Sausage made it to the dugout purely by accident, the brand knew how to amplify fan voices then step back and let culture do its job.

H&R Block

The tax preparation company has been trying to connect with Gen Z by tapping into culture in unique ways. H&R Block launched its own parody reality dating show called “Responsibility Island.” Show participants had to tackle the “adulting” task of filing taxes. When the campaign launched on Roku and YouTube, it drove a 31% boost in brand awareness among Gen Z consumers. It made sure to hit all its Gen Z bases by also partnering with Minecraft, creating a tax-themed competitive league and introducing custom skins and digital ads. The effort boosted web traffic by 10% year-over-year.

Hennessy

Read about how the cognac brand is getting playful to court a new generation of drinkers.

Herman Miller

Read about how the furniture brand’s centennial celebrated its staying power.

National Geographic

National Geographic continues to innovate its iconic brand to inspire global audiences. Nat Geo closed out the year with high-profile projects such as the Oscar-nominated Bobi Wine: The People’s President, and Limitless With Chris Hemsworth, the most-watched Nat Geo series on Disney+ to date. The brand’s editorial presence also continues to thrive, and the National Geographic magazine and annual issues like Best of the World continue to get millions of readers globally. It has also partnered with A-list talent including Angela Bassett, Stanley Tucci, and Awkwafina to appeal to audiences looking for a more entertaining spin. As a result, it remains relevant to audiences of different generations, with more than 755 million followers across all major platforms.

Nationwide

You probably know its legendary jingle—“Nationwide is on your side”—which has remained prominent in culture since its creation in 1967. Over the past year, Nationwide has leaned into the power of music and storytelling, working with a range of celebrities, including Peyton Manning, Leslie Odom Jr., and H.E.R. The brand also tapped into a viral TikTok moment when 5-year-old Zaya Campbell’s adorable rendition of the jingle took off. That moment inspired the Nationwide Jingle Challenge, a national contest inviting high school music groups to sing their own versions of the jingle for a chance to win funding for their school music programs. The brand also continues its partnership with the NFL, including sponsoring the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award and creating memorable campaigns like “Draft Night Drills” with Peyton Manning.

Purdue University

Indiana-based Purdue University is at the forefront of turning groundbreaking ideas into tangible solutions that benefit the global economy. This year, the university won three national research hub competitions and formed a $3.9 billion partnership with SK hynix to develop an advanced packaging facility for AI products. Purdue is working to transform its educational landscape, including initiatives such as the Purdue Global program, which provides accessible education to working adults, including Olympians and Paralympians, through its partnership with the Team USA Learning Network. The brand continues to grow across its social platforms, with almost 200,000 Instagram followers and 80,000 subscribers on YouTube.

Radio Flyer

Radio Flyer, known for its iconic red wagon, has successfully evolved from a century-old manufacturer of toys to a leader in family-friendly innovation. The company’s Flyer adult e-bikes were recognized as some of the best electric bikes for families, with more than 500 million media impressions and accolades like “Best Electric Cargo Bike” from Electric Bike Report. Radio Flyer also opened its first retail store, featuring a Race Track and Toddler Tuesdays. So far, it has had more than 100,000 visitors and garnered nearly a billion media impressions.

This story is part of Fast Company’s 2024 Brands That Matter. Explore the full list of honorees that have demonstrated a commitment to their brand’s purpose and cultural relevance to their audience. Read more about the methodology behind the selection process.