Editor's note: This article appeared in the March 8, 2010, edition of Quirk's e-newsletter.

Despite the near-constant product launches and line extensions intended to rocket brands to the top and revamp established brand images, it seems that in a time of great economic unrest consumers still put their trust and favor with brands that have stood the test of time. From Hersey's Kisses and Campbell's Soup to Duracell Batteries and Johnson & Johnson, the brands with the highest brand equity are those that have already seen their share of ups and downs throughout history and provided Americans with stability and comfort, according to EquiTrend, Rochester, N.Y., research company Harris Interactive's annual brand equity study.The only anomaly on the list? Perhaps not surprisingly, Google. Aside from the search-engine juggernaut's No. 4 spot on the list of the top 25 brands, newer online brands typically scored the lowest in the study. These bottom-dwellers include online dating sites and online universities, along with cigarette companies and the financial sector. The 25 highest-ranked brands are as follows:1. Hershey's Kisses2. M&M'S Plain Chocolate Candy3. Hershey's Milk Chocolate Candy Bars4. Google.com5. Duracell6. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups7. Heinz Ketchup8. Kleenex9. Oreo Cookies10. Neosporin Ointment11. Cheerios12. Ritz Crackers13. Kraft Foods Inc.14. Arm & Hammer Baking Soda15. Campbell's Soups16. Snickers17. Coca-Cola18. Sharpie19. Dawn Dish Detergent20. Johnson & Johnson21. Energizer22. UPS23. Hershey's Chocolate Chips24. M&M'S Peanut Chocolate Candy25. Hallmark Greeting Cards Hershey's Kisses was the highest-rated brand in the entire survey with several other brands from the comfort-foods category (e.g., M&M'S, Hershey Bar, Oreo Cookies and Snickers) ranking high. The remaining brands in the top 25 represent icons of quality within their respective categories. In fact, certain brands have managed to hold t...