• Story: The Great Trust Offensive
• Slide Show: Top Brands 2009
• Methodology: Picking the Winners

The recession has presented marketing executives around the world with the toughest test of their careers. Some brands have prospered amid the hard times—or at least held their own. Others have slipped a surprising number of places on our ninth annual ranking, compiled by consultancy Interbrand. But for seven brands, impressive performances saw them race up the charts to take their place on this year's list. Here are the numbers behind the rankings.