Top 20 Commercials Only 2000's Kids Remember

#20: Baby Bottle Pop

This name just unlocked a core memory, didn’t it? The “Baby Bottle Pop” song is as catchy as it gets, at times annoyingly so. The product design is frankly adorable, too. So, no wonder it sold so well. What we can’t wrap our heads around is what possessed 2000s kids to lick, dip, shake, or dunk feeding bottles, just for a sugar rush? The advertisement, which featured not babies, but older kids, made it look, quote unquote, ‘cool’, and everyone hopped on the baby bottle pop trend. It’s like the nineties pacifier fad reimagined! For people who lived through this era, though, these lollipops were a must-have. They were so popular that even the Jonas Brothers performed their jingle once.

#19: Tooth Tunes

Hasbro was in their bag with this one. A toothbrush that plays your favorite song while you brush your teeth sounds like a great idea even now. The commercial portrays regular brushing like an oral hygiene boot camp, liberated by Tooth Tunes. The scene goes from grey and drab to colorful and fun as kids rock out to their toothbrush playlists. From Hannah Montana to Rihanna, One Direction, Charli XCX, and Queen - Tooth Tunes had it all. Unfortunately, each brush came with just one song. That wasn’t a dealbreaker, though. It just made people want to collect them all. Talk about smart marketing.

#18: Reese's Puffs

As delicious as these chocolaty peanut butter delights are, they have no place in a healthy breakfast. That’s why the brand made those unbelievably addictive commercials, so that we were too busy singing along to notice the sugar content. From RV & Terrance’s rap in one ad to William Lupo’s version in another – Reese's Puffs had a chokehold on us. The former, in particular, was so iconic that it is referenced to this day. Lupo had a sick flow in his ad, too, which made people wish he released more music. Either way, Reese's Puffs ads had an undeniable influence on pop culture.

#17: AT&T

This commercial about a phone plan could easily pass as an “SNL” sketch. AT&T got Orlagh Cassidy and Stanley Tucci on board for this ad, where a young girl obsessed with messaging her BFF Jill only speaks in texting lingo. Cassidy plays her frustrated mother, while Tucci offers the voiceover, urging you to get the AT&T plan in question. The skit became so famous, AT&T had to come out with a sequel, where even Grandma is busy texting her BFF Rose. Regardless of how effective this ad was in terms of sales, we still remember it because it was hilarious.

#16: Above the Influence

When it comes to anti-substance use commercials, this one has to be the creepiest. Above the Influence’s “Flat Girl” ad shows a deflated young woman lounging lifelessly on a couch while her friend explains that her flattened state is due to marijuana. The scene is so disturbing that it might as well be the opening shot of a horror movie. Though absurd, it strongly cautions against substance use, like another Above the Influence ad where a girl with substance use disorder hallucinates that her dog is talking to her. That said, the dramatic “Flat Girl” imagery would definitely be regarded as problematic today. Back in the 2000s, though, it stuck with kids because of the fear it induced.

#15: Education Connection

You can’t tell us this ad was not Disney-coded. The jingle is giving Miley Cyrus, and the actress even does the Disney knees! The lyrics are about a woman who wants to pursue higher education, but is confused about which college to attend. That’s where Education Connection comes in, allowing her to find the right fit for free. Her optimism about hopefully bagging a better job after getting her degree makes one wish things really were that simple. Either way, the tune was an absolute earworm, although we’re not sure how many people actually focused on the service being advertised. They might’ve been too busy grooving to the infectious beat instead.

#14: Fanta

You know you scored an advertising win when the fictional girl group in your ad gets a Wikipedia page of its own. We’re talking, of course, about The Fantanas, who fronted some of the most memorable Fanta ads ever. These commercials were so ubiquitous that you could hardly look at a Fanta without the jingle playing in your head like a pop-up ad you couldn’t get rid of. Interestingly, it also got people arguing over how the soft drink’s name was supposed to be pronounced. Seeing the success of the Fantanas concept, the brand stuck with it, only changing the member lineup every few years. Due to the band’s relevance, it was even parodied in shows like “Mad TV” and “Family Guy”. Now, that’s impact.

#13: McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish

If you weren’t already thinking of this ad randomly, we’re sorry for reminding you because the jingle is going to be looping in your head now. The commercial parodies the Big Mouth Billy Bass fad and has a wall-mounted fish demanding a Filet-O-Fish through song. He’s crying out to a man enjoying the burger, who simply vibes to the tune while wordlessly munching on his food. Despite its simple concept, the ad was a major success. If it had been released now, we’re sure it would’ve sparked a TikTok dance challenge. Is it too late to start one now?

#12: Floam

The beady cousin of slime had little ones in a trance. After all, Floam commercials were as colorful as the product they were selling. They made you want to experience the squishy crunch yourself, like an ASMR video. What they did not show was how messy and short-lived the toy was. Remember when you’d leave your Floam out for some time and it would harden so much that you couldn’t play with it anymore? That usually meant it was time for another trip to the toy store. Besides, kids probably tried to imitate the ad, covering everything in Floam, but we doubt many could turn a fake fossil into a Floam dinosaur. Even so, it was just too irresistible.

#11: Betty Crocker Bake ‘n Fill

It’s been a while since this famous baking set was discontinued, but our love and appreciation for it have only grown stronger. They just don’t make stuff like this anymore … or maybe they do, but the Betty Crocker Bake ‘n Fill will always have a special place in the hearts of 2000s kids. Ever since we saw the commercial that made Baked Alaska look like an easy recipe, we were hooked. Suddenly, everyone who had one of these turned into a culinary innovator. Obviously, we’ll ignore the fact that none of our experimental cakes ever looked as perfect as the ones in the ad. After all, the real fun was the mess we made along the way.

#10: Bumpits

Hairstyles change and evolve through the years, and while today’s styles lean fairly natural, in the 2000s we were going for sky high volume. Fortunately, for those of us unskilled in the ways of teasing and who didn’t want to use half a can of hairspray every time we went out, there were Bumpits. These little pieces of plastic added the hair height we were searching for with minimal skill, effort or product. Sure, they’re not quite as easy to use effectively as the ad would have you believe, but it’s definitely not the worst as-seen-on-TV product you could purchase. And in case you were curious, yes Bumpits are still for sale at many major retailers.

#9: Froot Loops Cereal Straws

This was a breakfast food that was kind of ahead of its time. Fruit Loop Cereal Straws were made of, well, cereal, and allowed you to sip your milk through them. Considering the current environmental backlash against the use of standard plastic straws, we wouldn’t be surprised if this style of product ends up making a comeback. There’s even a Change.org petition to bring them back that has more than 80,000 signatures! Kellogg's NYC Café actually brought back a limited edition version for a week in 2018, but so far there’s no word on a more permanent product.

#8: Get a Mac

Apple has created a number of memorable ads in its decades in the tech industry, but one of their most unforgettable campaigns has to be “Get a Mac”, which ran from 2006 to 2009. Featuring John Hodgman in the role of “PC” and Justin Long as “Mac”, the commercials pitted the two operating systems against one another in a battle for supremacy… or at least coolness. The format was a success, and not long after the first ad kicked off, Apple reported a big increase of Macs sold. This campaign had dozens of ads, but the original is the one that most people will remember the most.

#7: Quiznos Spongmonkeys

These ads, which began airing around 2004, prompted a whole lot of questions. What was Quiznos thinking? What ARE those things? Is this the best ad we’ve ever seen... or the worst? It turns out the creatures in this bizarre and unforgettable campaign are known as “spongmonkeys” and they’re the creation of British animator and humourist Joel Veitch. In retrospect, it seems like Quiznos was actually ahead on the trend of luring customers with absurdist humor. Do these commercials make you want to eat a sub? Probably not. But have they been haunting your nightmares for years? Very likely.

#6: Neopets Toys

The virtual pet website Neopets was a fixture for late-‘90s and 2000s kids alike. Launched in 1999, it allowed users to use virtual currency to raise and build up their collection of pets. While the whole idea behind the site was to create a digital, interactive space, the company eventually expanded into selling toys to go along with the pets you knew and loved from your computer screen. The ads aired in the mid-aughts and were extremely tempting to any children who had used the site and wanted a tangible part of it.

#5: Snuggie

Snuggie didn’t invent the concept of a sleeved blanket, but they sure did popularize it. Their commercials made viewers laugh out loud, largely because it was somewhat unclear whether the brand was taking itself seriously or not. The commercials showed families wearing matching Snuggies in increasingly ridiculous situations, and seemingly thinking they were awesome. In case you didn’t grow up during this time, there was a period where there was nothing more hilarious than getting someone a Snuggie as a gag gift...and then watching as they ended up actually enjoying it.

#4: Guitar Hero World Tour

People love music, and people love sports, so what’s better than an ad that combines them? This campaign for Guitar Hero World tour featured four of the world’s most popular athletes reenacting an iconic scene from “Risky Business” while playing the game. Kobe Bryant appears alongside Alex Rodriguez, Michael Phelps and Tony Hawk in this fun-filled commercial from 2008. Unsurprisingly, it absolutely helped increase the brand’s clout and popularity. This ad is all the more beloved now that Kobe is no longer with us, and his co-star Alex Rodriguez spoke out after his death, as the two had become friends in the years since filming it.

#3: Kidz Bop

For all you non-2000s kids out there, here’s the lowdown: the Kidz Pop album took the biggest pop hits of the time and re-recorded them to make them more family-friendly. The ads always featured kids singing and dancing along to the tunes that would be featured on the album. At the time, the concept of being a Kidz Bop kid seemed like the coolest thing imaginable! The first compilation came out in 2001, and in the years since they’ve managed to make it all the way to Kidz Bop 40, which was released in 2019. Fun fact: did you know that Zendaya actually featured on Kidz Bop 15?

#2: iPod “Silhouette”

This has got to be one of the most iconic ad campaigns of all time. The “silhouette”-style ads became synonymous with the iPod shortly after the first one aired, despite the fact that Steve Jobs actually wasn’t initially a fan of the commercial. The brightly colored backgrounds, dark figures, and bright white iPods were a perfect combination, and they were set to catchy songs that made it impossible not to dance along. Some of the most memorable featured The Ting Tings’ “Shut Up and Let Me Go” and Jet’s “Are You Gonna Be My Girl”.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Optimum Triple Play

The Reggaeton Track Was a Banger

FreeCreditReport.com

The Tune Was Cool, but the Lyrics Were Low-Key Shady

ZooPals

This Ad for Animal-Themed Tableware Would Probably Work on Kids Today, Too

Capri-Sun

To This Day, We Respect the Pouch

Fruit Gushers

Karate Kids with Fruits for Heads Make for a Convincing Candy Commercial

#1: Coca-Cola Penguins & Polar Bears

Coca Cola has long been associated with Christmas. And that continued in this memorable ad, where a family of polar bears looks on as a group of penguins parties to holiday music. When the baby bear slides down into the penguins’ midst, it’s a stressful moment. . . but no worries, because a young penguin comes up to the young bear and offers a Coke as a peace offering. Does it matter that there’s actually nowhere in the world where penguins and polar bears are actually found in the same place? No. We can suspend our disbelief and enjoy this moment of interspecies friendship.

Do you think commercials were better back in the day? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!