50 most iconic brands that built America

<p>You can sip it. Zip it. Drive it. American brands do more than fill our lives, they shape who we are. As the nation marks its 250th anniversary, we decided to look at <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/usa250/iconic-brands/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">brands that capture America’s ingenuity and drive</a>. From Motown to <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/usa250/2026/04/15/harley-davidson-shaped-american-motorcyle-culture/88967027007/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Harley-Davidson, these names tell a uniquely American story</a>. Narrowing it down to the 50 most iconic? That was the tough part. Business Editor Jim Nelson and Business Reporter Ricardo Torres of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network, join The Excerpt to look at some of the standouts from USA TODAY’s Iconic Brands series.</p><p>Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:podcasts@usatoday.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">podcasts@usatoday.com</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>Episode transcript&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/04/16/how-we-landed-on-the-50-most-iconic-brands-that-define-america-the-excerpt/89630964007/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">available here</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.</p>