Iconic Commercials From the 2000s

They just don’t make ’em like they used to, and by that I mean those iconic 2000s commercials.

Growing up as a teenager in the ’00s, a decade defined by reality TV, celebrity culture, the rise of social media, and the digital revolution at large, everywhere I looked somebody was trying to sell me something. Sure, it’s probably much worse today what with streaming pause ads and sponsored content every which way you turn your head, but at least back then they advertised with a little pizzazz.

The TV commercials in the 2000s were largely marked by repetitive, earworm jingles and songs, tongue-in-cheek, often ironic or absurdist humor, brightly saturated colors, and overall a high energy style remnant of the late ‘90s before it. They were a little edgy and a whole lot of memorable, often both pulling from pop culture and inspiring the zeitgeist. And many of them were weird — like, really weird — but that only made them that much more unforgettable, even with the passing of time and trends.

From screechy, singing Spongmonkeys to a limber old man dancing wildly to the Vengaboys, these are the 2000s commercials Gen X’ers and Millennials will definitely remember.

Fanta

“Don’t you wanna?” For Millennials growing up in the early 2000s, the colorful Fantanas — Fanta’s sexy, fruit-themed quartet of spokesmodels-turned-dancers — presented a glamorous promise of refreshment and fun whenever they popped up on TV screens, typically partying in some snazzy, humid locale. “Wanna Fanta?” they asked, before bursting into the brand’s catchy, fast-paced tropical pop jingle. It always got stuck in my head. And honestly, yeah, it kinda made me wanna Fanta.

Orbit

Dirty mouth? Clean it up. Orbit’s most iconic commercial of the era famously featured a charming British woman cheekily offering a seemingly potty-mouthed trio Orbit gum during an explosive argument. Though no actual curse words were used (this aired on TV, after all), impassioned, not-so-offensive exclamations such as “lint licker” and “What the French toast?” always made me feel a little naughty, while the effervescent British woman’s catchphrase — “Fabulous! For a good clean feeling, no matter what…” — never failed to stick.

Education Connection

Long before Charli XCX and hyperpop, there was the omnipresent Education Connection jingle-turned-meme. Often airing late at night, when we were already delirious and susceptible to the allure of advertising, the high-energy, electro-rap-pop-style jingle was the staple earworm of post-Y2K commercials. The girl with the bob studying on her swivel chair had us all going on the “in-ter-net” to pursue our own higher education.

Quiznos

Don’t ask me what a Spongmonkey is because I couldn’t tell you. Nevertheless, who could forget Quiznos’ bizarre mascots? They made their commercial debut in an unhinged 2004 ad campaign that featured the weird, screechy, internet-born creatures singing about their love of Quiznos subs. It was brainrot before brainrot, and it’s seared into my cerebrum like a well-toasted sub.

Six Flags

There was nothing more exciting than heading to Six Flags with your friends during summer break in the 2000s, and the company’s iconic commercials starring a goofy old man dancing spiritedly to Vengaboys’ 1998 Eurodance anthem perfectly captured that thrill. It was impossible to avoid Mr. Six — who wasn’t really an old guy, but rather a young professional choreographer wearing heavy prosthetics — while watching TV during the decade. The advertising mascot is so iconic that he was even parodied during an episode of Saturday Night Live in 2022, nearly two decades after he made his high-energy commercial debut.

Starburst

Candy commercials were notably unhinged in the ’90s, but the 2000s weren’t any less wacky. In 2007, Starburst had us all glued to our screens when they debuted their absurd commercial featuring Little Lad. With his pageboy bob, Little Lord Fauntleroy-inspired outfit, and clearly suffering from arrested development, the commercial saw Little Lad approach two young men eating Berries & Creme Starburst before breaking out into a euphoric little song and jig. It was weird, but it was unforgettable, which is probably why it went viral again in 2021.

READ MORE: 25 Commercials You Know by Heart if You Grew Up in the ’90s

Folgers

What’s stronger than a good coffee? Family bonds. But some family bonds are maybe a little too strong. Such is the case with Folgers’ infamous 2009 “Coming Home” commercial, AKA the “Folgers Incest Ad,” which features a young woman embracing her brother after he returns home for the holidays. “You’re my present this year,” she declares, placing a gift bow on his shirt. They exchange glances. She seems nervous; a little too excited. He smirks and looks away. There’s a strange tension in the air before their parents walk in and Folgers’ iconic jingle plays. It all feels very Cersei and Jaime Lannister.

Geico

Geico has long been known for their memorable advertising. It’s probably why their mascot, the Geico Gecko (his actual name is Martin, by the way), is one of the most famous commercial mascots. But the insurance company’s advertising truly peaked in the 2000s with their series of caveman commercials. Based on their “it’s so easy, a caveman could do it” slogan advertising their user-friendly online insurance quote system, one of the company’s funniest spots debuted in 2006. It saw a sophisticated, traveling caveman do a double-take after encountering the slogan on a poster at the airport. His indignation coupled with Röyksopp’s breezy “Remind Me” playing in the background was pure comedy.

J.G. Wentworth

Do you have a structured settlement but you need cash now? I’m not actually sure what a structured settlement is, but if I had one, I’d know to probably call JG Wentworth thanks to the company’s ultra-catchy viking opera commercial and jingle. You know the one: An fancy opera group dressed as vikings stand on stage in a theater, belting out lines like, “I have an annuity, but I need cash now / Call JG Wentworth / 877-CASH-NOW.”

Head On

“HeadOn. Apply directly to the forehead. HeadOn. Apply directly to the forehead. HeadOn. Apply directly to the forehead.” You probably remember hearing that instruction — always three times in sequence, and always played twice in a row — while watching TV in the late 2000s. Debuted in 2006, HeadOn’s infamously repetitive (and controversial) ad was a brainworm, for better or worse. While I can’t tell you what the since-discontinued topical product actually did (headache relief, I guess…?), I can tell you that it should be applied directly to the forehead. Applied directly to the forehead. Applied directly to the forehead.

Verizon

“Can you hear me now?” was inescapable in the 2000s. The line, famously repeated by actor Paul Marcarelli as the “Test Man” in Verizon Wireless’ iconic commercial campaign from the decade, even worked its way into casual American vernacular. The commercial series was so effective that in 2016, after Marcarelli’s contract had ended, the actor was hired by Sprint to appear in their “Paul Switched” campaign.

Apple iPod

Cool can’t be manufactured, but Apple somehow managed to do it anyway in the mid-2000s with their dancing silhouette commercials. The ads, today considered a primary example of the frutiger metro aesthetic, featured black silhouettes dancing against bright, solid-colored backgrounds with their Apple iPod in tow. Soundtracked by artists such as the Gorillaz, N.E.R.D., and Daft Punk, the music was just as effortlessly cool as the energetic visuals, which remain an ubiquitous symbol of the decade.

ShamWow!

In 2006, smooth-talking pitchman Vince Offer began to pop up on TV screens to hawk ShamWow!, an absorbent towel product initially purported to hold “20 times its weight in liquid.” The high-energy infomercial was everywhere, with Vince demonstrating the towel in a casual non-flashy manner while still making you feel like a total dingus for not owning one already.

K9 Advantix

Puppies are objectively adorable. Yellow Labrador puppies? Even more so. But a singing yellow Labrador puppy? My heart’s about to burst just thinking about it. That said, canine tick and flea treatment K9 Advantix’s iconic TV ad featuring a chipper little puppy sending his parents a letter from summer camp, singing its contents aloud to the tune of “Dance of the Hours” by Amilcare Ponchielli, is undoubtedly one of, if not the, cutest commercials of the decade.

Subway

In 2008, Subway’s “$5 Footlong” campaign introduced one of the modern era’s most famous and recognizable jingles alongside a fun series of commercials featuring various characters such as a gorilla, football referee, and generic movie star. The promotion, launched during the recession, was super successful and helped the company generate billions in revenue. The deal was so ubiquitous with the brand that I was recently shocked to learn you definitely can’t order a $f 12-inch sandwich at the chain anymore. (To be fair, almost nothing costs just $5 anywhere these days.)