This is U.S. History, I see the globe right there. – Jeff Spicoli, Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
Attention trend-watchers: A new study from Viacom’s The N Channel reports that Vans, maker of the checkerboard-pattern slip-ons made famous by Sean Penn’s character (Jeff Spicoli) in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, is one of the top brands for teens — 25 years after that movie made them famous.
But as Michael Stoner (whose last name is in no way a reference to Spicoli’s antics) points out, Apple’s iPod was the brand deemed “absolutely essential to teens.” The iPod is “not only a favorite” among teens, Stoner writes, but also was seen as “defining their generation.”
Of the 47 brands tested, the top brands were a mixed bag that includes American Eagle Outfitters, YouTube, Facebook, MTV and the aforementioned Vans. Stoner links to a few others on his blog and also quotes from a Brand Week article about the study.
The study pointed out — and this may come as a shocker — that when it comes to brands, teens are a fickle lot. According to Brand Week:
Regardless of sex, those who expressed the most intense loyalty were often the same people who would quickly leave one brand for another. Nineteen percent will swap brands due to boredom. One in four will switch if a brand becomes too popular.
The fact that Vans are among the top brands a quarter century after Spicoli wore them to tread on dangerous ground in Ridgemont High history class says something about that brand’s staying power.
Mr. Hand would be proud.
Andrew Careaga 