What’s the Most Iconic Brand in Kentucky? That Depends on Who You Ask

What a coincidence. Here I am drinking from a bottle of Ale-8-One Zero Sugar and launching into a piece about the most iconic brand in Kentucky. However, Ale-8-One doesn't top the list, even though it had a chance. You see, I've found sources that claim two different brands are the most iconic in the Commonwealth.

Before we go any further, do you have a guess? Are you thinking, maybe, KFC? Jif Peanut Butter, perhaps? Hot Pockets? If I hadn't done my research, I wouldn't be surprised if any of those were the champs. But they join Ale-8-One in the also-ran file.

Humana

GoBankingRates.com, a personal finance website, combined data from lists published by Fortune 500 and Zippia in 2023 and came up with what they consider to be the most iconic brands in each state. With revenue totalling $106.37 billion and a workforce of 67,600, Humana, a for-profit health insurance company that operates primarily in the United States, was tabbed as Kentucky's most iconic brand. It is headquartered in Louisville.

Lexmark

The other "most iconic brand" in Kentucky comes to us from Business Insider. The online media company published a map that's part of a project undertaken by graphic designer Steve Lovelace. He created a map and paired up every state and Washington, DC, with the logo of a brand he believes is most closely connected to that state. Calling his map The Corporate States of America, Lovelace admits that his selections were subjective, even if he did explain his methodology.

Lexmark, an IBM spin-off company that manufactures laser printers and imaging products, is based in Lexington.

It sounds like something I would do. I create lists of stuff all the time and have since I was a kid. I guess anyone could come up with a list like this. Me? I would have chosen KFC.

I will say this, though. Thanks to Lovelace's work, I now know that there's a much deeper connection between Best Western and Arizona than I ever realized.

(Same with South Dakota and Super 8.)