Just Kidding…Brandjunkie (note North American centric) has just named the best and most admired brands and they are

What brand can you not live without?
Apple (15.2%)
None (8.6%)
Coca-Cola (6%)
Google (5.5%)
Starbucks (2.7%)

What brands inspire you the most?
Apple (22.1%)
Nike (6.6%)
Coca-Cola (3.8%)
Google (3.6%)
Starbucks (2.4%)

Obviously these are US based brands but Apple has make huge strides in the last few years to take top honors this year.