20 iconic commercials from the ‘00s you totally forgot about

With the rise of the cell phone came the rise of cell phone commercials, including the iconic AT&T commercial, in which a mother tries to communicate with her adolescent daughter about her texting bill. The line “IDK, my BFF Jill” will most certainly stir up strong emotions. 

You might not remember that the commercial was for Six Flags, but you’ll remember that an old man was dancing. He got off a bus and started moving around like he was in his 20s. It was awesome. 

The ‘00s were the decade of the infomercial. Did anyone buy this product? Likely not. Did the commercial have everyone talking about it for several years? Absolutely. We’d love to know what happened to the models of these that were never sold. 

So much of what was advertised on television in the ‘00s has become obsolete technology. Before we could find playlists on Spotify, we had to endure commercials for CD mixes, like the Ultimate Love Songs Collection. 

Muzzy was the Duolingo of the ‘00s, except it’s still unclear whether anyone actually purchased it. And if anyone did purchase it, did it work? Are there bilingual millennials out and about with the iconic Muzzy commercial to thank?

The Campbell’s Soup commercial featuring a melting snowman was certainly meant to be endearing, but it had dark undertones. All for a product that probably doesn’t need any advertising.

When Starburst introduced its Berries and Cream flavors, it also introduced one of the most iconic commercial characters of the decade: the Little Lad who loved berries and cream. The commercial was so buzzy that it’s still talked about today. 

Real ones still have the Education Connection song memorized. “Get connected for free!” 

E-Trade had a series of commercials in the ‘00s featuring babies as spokespeople for insurance. The campaign lasted for years due to its success. The company recently returned to the format featuring some babies playing pickleball. 

Cootie queen. Lint licker. Do these terms jog your memory? Orbit Gum redefined insults in the ‘00s, and more than a few people undoubtedly quoted this commercial at each other for years following. 

The Chef Boyardee commercial featuring a rolling can that followed a little girl all the way home had all little kids in the ‘00s believing that if they craved canned food enough, it would simply show up in their kitchen. Unfortunately, that was not the case. 

“HeadOn, apply directly to the forehead!” Does that phrase haunt your dreams? It will now. That commercial was so abrasive and confusing that it was hard to know what exactly it was advertising. 

Reese’s Puffs probably would’ve sold well without a commercial. What’s not to love about cereal with puffy bits of chocolate and peanut butter? Nevertheless, we got an iconic commercial from the breakfast food featuring a rap you now have stuck in your head. 

If you don’t remember all the words in the Education Connection commercial, perhaps you’ll remember them in the Free Credit Report commercial. “F-R-E-E that spells free.”

One day, you were at home watching television when a Capri Sun commercial came on. The next thing you knew, you were afraid to do anything disrespectful with the pouch after finishing your juice. 

Many Skittles commercials aired in the 2000s, but you probably forgot about the one for chocolate Skittles featuring a man who is also a piñata. It was incredibly dramatic, and the man starring as the piñata deserved some sort of award for his performance. 

Every year at Christmastime in the ‘00s, Taco John’s replayed its iconic “Feliz Navidad” commercial. The advertisement featured the classic tune and wished everyone a happy holiday season. Nothing says Christmas like drive-thru TexMex. 

Speaking of fast food, Quiznos also had an iconic commercial in the ‘00s. This one featured Spongmonkeys singing about their love for Quiznos subs. The advertisement unlocked a new fear you didn’t know you had. 

Little kids and parents in the ‘00s were all too familiar with Zoo Pals. They probably didn’t have any Zoo Pals at home, but they knew the song from the commercial that played and played and played. In case you still don’t remember, Zoo Pals are plates shaped like animal heads. 

That poor Geico caveman was getting insulted at every turn in the 2000s. He was just trying to live his best self-actualized life without being reminded that some things are so easy a caveman could do them.