I can see why you might say Yankees don't count, but I think sports teams do count as brands.

There are others--Leica cameras, Rolex, Starbucks, Linux, Vans, Star Trek/Wars.

I don't think it's something you set out to attain, look at the airline Song for an example of how this backfires. I think being a cult brand is a status you attain after reaping several generations of loyal customers.