As much as we hate to fall back on sad concepts such as “Gen Y”, Reader Plaid sent us an interesting list of the top 15 most trusted brands among new consumers aged 21-27. According to the research firm that put together the survey, the youngish are drawn to brands that speak to them in a “straightforward and stripped-down way, use plain packaging, and avoid excess,” Personally, we don’t find this surprising as we (and most of the people we know ) are suffering from some sort of extreme marketing exhaustion as a result of being young during the 80s and 90s.

Plaid says, “I have to admit, I do prefer many of the brands on the list. However, as a marketing minor in undergrad, I’m kinda appalled that I’ve fallen for their marketing schemes.” It’s OK, buddy. Those Red Stripe commercials are too awesome to resist. Plus, the beer is good. Brand list inside.

The Most Trusted 15 brands named by the trendsetters in the survey were:

Apple
Trader Joe’s
Jet Blue
In-N-Out Burger
Ben & Jerry’s
Whole Foods
Adidas
American Apparel
Target
H & M clothing stores
Levi’s
Volkswagen
Converse
Vitamin Water
Red Stripe Jamaican beer

—MEGHANN MARCO

Reign Of The Plain: Survey Finds Gen Ys Prefer Brand Simple [MediaPost]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.