How many commercials do you watch in a day? Hundreds? Most commercials may fade away within the day, but others stick in your mind for days with catchy tunes, memorable characters or celebrities keeping you invested in the products being advertised. The 2000s marked the beginning of a new century, and there are still some commercials that originally aired during that time which can still be seen on TV today.
TV commercials became increasingly popular during the 2000s, particularly in showcasing brands that became significant due to worldwide happenings, like the September 11 attacks in New York City and the subsequent war on terror. At that time, the United States economy brought brand advertising to the forefront of television by introducing campaigns that promoted “dot com” companies.
In this article
- Nickname for the Decade
- What Defined the Decade?
- Who Was the U.S. President During the 2000s?
- How Was the Economy?
- How Much Time Did People Spend Watching TV in the 2000s?
- Who Were the Top TV Advertisers in the 2000s?
- TV Commercials for Kids Toy Brands
- Which Commercials Were Most Popular?
- Campaigns for Change — Dove
- Final Thoughts
Want to revisit some of the most talked-about TV commercials from the 2000s? Let’s dive into some of the most iconic ads and learn some interesting facts about this unforgettable decade.
Nickname for the Decade
The 2000s is a familiar name when describing this decade. However, it never had a widely accepted shortened name like in the 80s or 90s.
The US adopted the term “aughts” while the UK, New Zealand and Australia used the word “noughties” to define the decade. The term “aughts” comes from the British English word noughties. Both terms used in the United States and the United Kingdom mean zero. “Twenty hundreds” and “double zeros” were also used, but people were left with only working titles as they struggled to come up with a name for this decade.
What Defined the Decade?
Numerous events defined this decade, including 9/11 and the 2001 anthrax attacks in the United States when many TV networks opted out of commercials to focus on news.
At the same time, the tech world was growing at a rapid pace. Newly advanced text messaging started becoming popular and email replaced the standard letter as a way of communicating with people. Suddenly, it took only seconds for your news or texts to reach another person.
Social media platforms also defined the 2000s. Staying in touch with nothing more than an internet connection became easy with social networking websites, including MySpace and Yahoo Messenger, although new platforms later emerged and became more prominent.
The Nintendo DS and Game Boy were all popular game systems that kids could take on the go with them, with Super Mario Bros being the best-selling video game of the 2000s. Music on the go was revolutionized by the iPod, an MP3 player that was capable of holding thousands of songs at a time.
Who Was the U.S. President During the 2000s?
George W. Bush was sworn in as the 43rd President of the United States on January 20, 2001. He remained president for two terms until 2008.
Directly after George W. Bush, Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States on January 20, 2009. He became the country’s first Black president and was in office for two terms.
How Was the Economy?
The stock market experienced growth in the 1990s but after 9/11, the United States saw a recession that continued to plummet in part due to the anthrax attacks. Stocks didn’t increase again until 2006 when the banks were stable again, but 2007 marked the beginning of another significant economic decline. The housing and credit crisis in the U.S. led to a global recession due to the bankruptcy of major banks around the country.
Many commercials during the 2000s were about the stock market and bank issues. They offered people ways to fix their money situation.
How Much Time Did People Spend Watching TV in the 2000s?
Watching TV in the 2000s used to mean sitting on the couch, flicking through the channels on a cable.
Television wasn’t at its peak until 2009-2010. During this time, researchers concluded that the average American household would watch about eight hours of TV a day.
Who Were the Top TV Advertisers in the 2000s?
Some of the top advertisers of the 2000s included popular music and television icons. In addition, popular product campaigns of the 2000s featured bright colors, celebrities and impacts on the commercial industry.
Here are some of the most memorable TV commercials.
Skechers
Skechers sneakers were the most popular shoe brand and were repeatedly featured on TV ads in the 2000s. In addition, one of the most famous stars of the 2000s, Britney Spears, was a Brand Ambassador for the company for many years.
McDonald’s
McDonald’s is one of the highest-grossing fast food chains in the world, famous for their iconic logo. During the early 2000s, McDonald’s suffered hard times during the stock market collapse.
After this crisis, they released their iconic slogan, “I’m lovin’ it!” McDonald’s used their decreasing sales to reinvent the brand completely and as a result, the 2000s marked the first global campaign for the company.
Many celebrities have worked on McDonald’s jingles, making them one of the top TV advertisers of the 2000s and into today.
Got Milk?
“Got Milk?” has been advertising on television for over 20 years. The purpose of these commercials was to encourage the consumption of milk and dairy products.
These commercials have featured countless celebrities over the years. Researchers wanted to have famous icons in their commercials because they were considered role models for young people.
Aside from celebrities, sports stars like Serena and Venus Williams have also done commercials for “Got Milk?” They wanted kids to know that people who work hard in sports also take the time to drink milk.
TV Commercials for Kids Toy Brands
Paid sponsorships that targeted young kids were common during the 2000s. Most of these commercials included toys or other products that all kids would want.
Having kids sitting in front of the TV meant that they would see these commercials and beg their parents to buy the products for them.
Kidz Bop, Bratz, Nerf and other brands brought kids their favorite toys, plus video games and handheld gaming consoles began rising in popularity during the 2000s. The companies behind these desirable toys used TV ads to entice customers.
Which Commercials Were Most Popular?
Everyone wanted to set themselves apart from the competition, whether it was company logos, characters or celebrity appearances. Some of the most popular TV commercials featured repetitive jingles that got stuck in customers’ heads. 2000s TV ads also featured some of the most memorable brand mascots of all time.
These popular commercials could be seen on nearly every channel during the 2000s. They had some of the most catchy jingles, which matched their need to be separated from the competition. They also veered away from the heartbreaking topics going on around the world at the time.
Here are some of the commercials that were popular on 2000s TV:
McDonald’s — I’m Lovin’ It
Quizno’s — We Love the Subs
J.G. Wentworth — 877-CASH-NOW
K9 Advantix – Hello Mother, Hello Father
Education Connection
Campaigns for Change — Dove
It’s unimaginable to believe that a one-minute commercial could leave such an impact, but the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty achieved just that. It featured women of all shapes, sizes and ethnicities using Dove products, each with their own reasons why they chose the brand.
In 2004, market research stated that only four percent of women believed they were beautiful. This led to Dove creating one of the most shocking and beautiful campaigns. They sent a powerful message to all women and opened up the conversation about beauty standards in the media.
Aside from TV commercials, this Dove advertisement was on billboards, magazines and social media websites. As a result, it gained the attention of people trying to change the perception of female beauty.
Dove released a campaign called ‘Choose Beautiful‘ and it became one of their most effective marketing efforts, tugging at the heartstrings of a generation.
Final Thoughts
A new century began in the year 2000 and the TV commercials during that decade left an impression thanks to catchy tunes, memorable characters and celebrity endorsements. Many commercials stood out with their repetitive jingles and unforgettable brand mascots. Some even tried to spark social change and start conversations about important topics.
What was your favorite commercial from the 2000s? Share it with us in the comments below!
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