Frucor's V: Energy drinks come and go faster than a caffeine rush but V stayed on top. Frucor shares listed at $1.45 and have gone as high as $2.47.
AMI Insurance: AMI distinguished itself from the generally boring insurance category first with Kelly Browne and then this year's embarrassing shower scene campaign.
Caltex: The mystery motorist branding stuck as well as its series of dry commercials linking up with other brands like Urgent Couriers.
Popstars: The TV show format that created a monster - in New Zealand, Australia and, soon, the US.
Cuisine: The classy glossy that's now almost as big as a phone book. Carries on proving magazines can work in a crowded market; launched a website this month.
Paul Holmes: From last year's worst brand list to this year's recovery as the singer, the cancer battler, the survivor.
The year's worst
Fiji: A coup has this annoying way of destroying a country's credibility and so George Speight lobbed a few zeros off the Pacific nation's balance sheet this year. Punters are staying away.
Iridium: The go-anywhere satellite phone got a big financial disconnection early in the year after it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US. All that hype for nothing.
Pepsi: Its offshore marketers promised a new and exciting path for the fizzy drink company after Frucor bought it from Lion Nathan last year. Uh-uh. Where Pepsi went this year: obscurity.
e-anything: After April it took more than an "e" in front of your name to go places; just look at eVentures. Better still visit www. justanotherdotcom.com.
The Warriors: When media turn down freebie tickets you know you're in trouble. Tainui dramas, sponsorship traumas and game losses. Eric Watson, we're depending on you.