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Presents...
Top 13 Curious Commercials and Bumpers from the 2000s and 2010s
Welcome back, Young and Young-at-Heart explorers! Today on Something Niche, we have a special treat for you! We will be starting a new series here, simply titled, Top 13! Here, we will be counting down a list of 13 different subjects of a different niche topic, which could range from nostalgic items from my past some of my crazy ideas in the present. Why top 13? Because we here at Something Niche always love to be three steps ahead!
For our inaugural countdown, we will be taking a look into something a little out of our usual comfort zone, something that many generations have had the pleasure (or sometimes displeasure) of growing up with. And something that still continues in today's streaming-dominated world; commercials.
Yep, commercials. Those little advertisements that always pop up in between our favorite shows in order to try and sell us a product or service that most of us may or may not need. Be they fruit snacks or insurance, these small little nuggets of information would provide either fascination with a potential new favorite treat or frustration and annoyance as we begged for the show to come back on.
Every generation ever since the television set was invented has had their own commercials to their name. And on occasion, these commercials have become just as iconic as the shows they often played in between.
And yes, even my generation of the 2000s and early 2010s have some of their own commercials to add to their name, many of which stood out for either the right or wrong reasons. And in today's countdown, I'll be doing my duty as a nostalgic 2000s kid by sharing several of the ones I remember the best, preserving them for future generations to come! Starting with...
# 13
Pop Tarts-Yeti
The iconic toaster pastry has had its fair share of well-remembered commercials over the decades. While the "Crazy Good" campaign might be its most well-remembered among 2000s kids, a couple of years before that, they put out a couple of small ads featuring a yeti, who would explain to a group of kids that you could enjoy your Pop Tarts chilled.
These ads were created to advertise a few new flavors that were introduced back then, such as the still popular Hot Fudge Sundae. And they usually led to the same punchline; the kids would scream in fear, causing the yeti to run off in fear as well.
Admittedly, this commercial isn't very high on the list simply because the punchline has become rather cliche and predictable as an adult. The yeti's translated "'Sup Dawgs" also comes off as one of the most stereotypically 2000s things ever. But that's a part of its charm, to be quite honest.
Plus, the second one had a little extra punchline at the end (hence why it's the one I posted here).
# 12
Geico-Dear Mom
The Geico Insurance company has made plenty of memorable ads over the years and still continues to until this day. But back in the 2000s, their ads would get really weird. Case in point, this rather cringeworthy-but creative in its own way-30 second tv spot.
In it, we see an elderly mother opening a card from her grown up son and reading it with emotion. Cue sappy music as the son's voice says how much he's been thinking about her. And then we hit a tonal 180 as the son tells his mother that he's been saving money with Geico.
I vividly remember my father despising this commercial when he saw it, saying it almost made him cry before ending on a rather stupid note. And I can honestly see why as a grown man.
Still, its enjoyable to me in its own cheesy way. And it's definitely one of the more...interesting commercials I've seen the company put out.
#11
Netflix for Wii-Musical
Long before Netflix put cable tv on life support, they were just another video rental company trying to find their footing in the world. And one of the ways they tried to do this was via a partnership with Nintendo that allowed them to be streamed on the Wii via a disc that could be inserted into the system.
As part of this service, the future home of Stranger Things would roll out a series of ads that showed different movie genres getting suddenly invaded by the Wii Remote controller. But the most interesting of them to me was this one that parodied they live action musicals of the 60s and 70s that were made by Disney and other such companies.
Not only does this particular ad have the best punchline with the girl's reaction to the Wii Remote, but it also served as a rather eerily prophetic ad for the future. Giving that this ad parodied Disney movies, it would be rather ironic than once Netflix went big in the streaming game, Disney would end up launching their own streaming service and effectively ditch Netflix in the process.
With that in mind, this ad comes off as a rather hilarious unintentional time capsule for both companies! Not to mention a hilarious reflection on all the time Nintendo has been compared to Disney (both favorably and negatively) over the years.
#10
Trix-Jungle Jumble
If there is one thing I strangely miss from the Aughts, it's product contests. These were television promotions that allowed kids to play a little game on specially marked packages in order to win prizes or just get some more street cred on the playground.
Among them were this series of commercials that promoted a giant word scramble game, put on by Trix. In it, we see the rabbit sneaking off with the kids' cereal and yogurt while they are on a safari, only for him to hide them in a location that gets scrambled up after he gets hit by a coconut.
What really sets this promotion apart from the others for me is the fact that I was able to find out the answer to the rabbit's word scramble years later via the magic of Reddit. It was actually rather simple and obvious, and yet I never actually figured it out for myself!
For those who were curious the answer was in the "elephant's trunk". (Note: If you look closely in the last ad, you can even see the elephant staring at his trunk as a little hint!)
#9
Hostess Twinkies-Vulture
Like most of the products advertised here, Twinkies have actually been an important part of snack time for generations earlier than the Aughts. But it would be around this time where many of their more experimental and creative advertisements would come about.
Though this particular ad campaign dates back to the 90s, and also extended to other products made by the Hostess company, the "Critters" line would explode during the 2000s with several different commercials revolving around a rather simple punchline; several animal creatures-often animated in dated 2000s CGI-would mistake a certain object for a Hostess snack cake and realize their error far too late, often resulting in a comical injury. The commercial would then be capped off with the animal critter uttering the main catchphrase of the campaign; "Hey! Where's the cream filling?!"
Of the ones that I personally remember from the Aughts, this first one with a vulture stands out among the rest for its relative simplicity, and its charmingly dated effects that bring an awkward smile to my face. It also has, in my opinion, the best delivery of the main punchline thanks to the vulture's goofy voice and timing.
Now that's the stuff!
#9
Comcast Digital Voice-Big Old Expensive Phone Company
Long before smart phones became the dominant species in telecommunications, several companies were throwing their hats in the ring with digital voice plans for earlier cell phones and landlines. Comcast was one such company, with many of their commercials often relying on so-called "anti-mascots" that poked fun at their competitors and/or traditional communications companies.
One of these anti-mascots was the Big Old Expensive Phone Company, who appeared in a set of musical commercials that satirized the apparently high prices of traditional phone companies. Of all of the ones that were made, this second one, themed around disco music (a reflection of the still prominent 70s Nostalgia movement of the decade), stands out to me the best. The jabs that Comcast throws with its anti-mascots sting the hardest, with plenty of satire towards companies that tend to rip their customers off (something that's sadly still relevant in today's society, and has arguably gotten even worse, in fact.)
Plus, I'll admit it here and now, the song's just so dang catchy.
#8
Baked Cheetos Snack-Crunch Song
Speaking of commercials with catchy tunes, here we have this one from Cheetos! Specifically, the "Baked" variety of snacks that the brand's parent company, Frito Lay, would attach to their products at the time. Like a lot of snack foods, the iconic brand of cheese puffs would often go to great lengths in order to make their brands stand out with the so-called "cool kid" crowd of the Aughts.
This one in particular acts as a nice time capsule of the different hip hop music trends of the decade, mixing surprisingly well-done choreography with priceless special effects synched to the sound of crunching. Even the lighting of the ad screams "edgy 2000s era".
Honestly, whenever I hear this ad pop into my head, I always get the urge to dance at least a little bit. It manages to fit in a lot of the personality of the 2000s in 30 seconds!
#7
Duracell Batteries-Toy Guard Dog
A truly old relic from early in my formative years, this short ad for Duracell batteries manages to get its messages across in a simple and charming way. We see a little girl playing with a cute little dog toy, only for things to go 180s once a burglar enters the house.
Unfortunately for said burglar, the toy dog is on the prowl and goes into full attack mode to protect its family, in a display that's both funny and slightly terrifying. And the thing that we find out keeps the little guard dog operating? A Duracell battery.
This one sits in the back of my head from long ago not only for its unique premise and clever punchline that calls back to the family pet movies I watched in my youth, but also for the design of the dog itself. I even distinctively remember asking my mother if we could actually buy one of these toys that didn't actually exist (but seem to have been inspired by the electronic pet toys that were all the rage those days, some of which I actually did own).
It actually would have been so cool if somebody were to have actually made a toy based on this ad. Then again, it could actually lead to a lot of injuries and childhood trauma thanks to the dog's patented beast mode.
#6
Aquapod Natural Spring Water-A Blast of Fun
Next, we have a rather overly enthusiastic commercial advertising a mere bottle of water as fun for kids. In these ads for Aquapod-a now-discontinued brand of bottled water from the Nestle company-we see some kids dealing with the annoying challenges of growing up brought on by their parents, including lectures, chores, and long car trips.
Much like a lot of the ads, we build up to a rather small punchline where a lever that says "Pull this for a Blast of Fun!" falls from the ceiling and the kids follow through without hesitation, causing a giant bottle of the brand to fall out of the sky and interrupt the parents. Of the 4 that were created, I feel that the one in the car has aged the best, if only for the dad's now relatable "I told you we should have flown." reaction.
Looking back, these ads were literally just advertising a plain bottle of water. Hardly something for a kid to get excited over. Then again, it also tried to entice kids into drinking something healthy for them, so that's a plus. As an adult, I can also appreciate the details the put into the ads, such as coloring in the more relatable kids while keeping the chatty parents monochromatic.
In a way, they also would end up being eerily prophetic of the 10s and 20s, with other water brands also turning to exaggerated branding and advertising in an attempt to sell an otherwise unremarkable product. With the creatively named Liquid Death being a prime example!
#5
Bionicle-Inika Heroes
Forget funny punchlines and creative slogans for a second. This commercial for the now dearly missed Bionicle toy line decides to spend 30 seconds radiating one thing and one thing only; pure Aughts edge!
Specifically created for the Inika line of figures, this advert shows the titular heroes of the line preparing to kick butt while being heralded by The All-American Rejects' "Move Along", which has easily become one of my all-time favorite songs as an adult. We then see enough slow motion to fill up an entire X-Games reel as we see each of the names of the Toa show off their amazing weapons.
If there was one commercial that captures everything that was special about the Aughts, this would definitely be one of them! Everything in this spot gives off the same edge of several of my favorite childhood shows like Teen Titans and Code Lyoko, and may have even paved the way for me becoming an anime and gaming obsessed adult! Even if-looking at it now-I realize not a lot actually happened during the commercial.
Plus, as a kid who enjoyed the direct-to-video Bionicle movies growing up, seeing Hahli and Jaller from Mask of Light grow up into full-fledged Toa honestly brings a tear to my eye. They truly grow up so fast!
#4
Chef Boyardee-Tame the Beast
As you may have already realized, a lot of the commercials we have looked at thus far on this post seem to advertise food and snack products. This serves as a reminder of the aggressive push a lot of food products had towards marketing themselves towards youngins during the 2000s and 2010s.
Many memorable commercials came about from the snack food industry during the Aughts and New Teens, many of which weren't afraid to embrace the edge and random goofiness of the era.
While Capri Sun's Respect the Pouch campaign was close to taking this spot, we ultimately had to give the edge to this campaign by Chef Boyardee. A few commercials were produced for this campaign, all of whom focused on children turning into ravenous beasts before getting their hands on the canned pasta brand and going to town.
However, this first one stands out for managing to fit a lot of the fashioning of 2000s horror into its brief narrative, paying tribute to the likes of Dog Soldiers with an atmosphere of pure angst and grit, as well as to horror from decades earlier with a creature that looks suspiciously similar to a partially-transformed David Kessler from An American Werewolf in London.
Definitely an interesting and atmospheric way to sell a brand that-in my personal opinion-didn't really taste all that good.
#3
Burger King-Twilight Eclipse Kids Meal Toys
Kid's meal toys have been a part of fast-food restaurants for as long as fast-food restaurants have been a thing. All of the major chains, from McDonald's to Wendy's to Burger King have sold cheap plastic playthings to the little guys who enter the store, utilizing both original characters and hundreds of IPs. And of course, each and every one of these toy lines came with their own short little ads that made little kids beg them to go out to eat.
However, of all of the chains, we have to give the award for most peculiar toy ads to the latter chain, who had plenty of ads during the aughts and new teens for their kid's meal toys, including one for toys based on the 2007 Transformers movie that had Optimus Prime experiencing difficulties while trying to use the drive-thru. However, their oddest has to be this one for plastic accessories based on 2010's The Twilight Sage: Eclipse that focuses on two older women stealing said toys for Team Jacob and Team Edward.
Not only does the curious punchline act as a humorous sendup of the infamous social media rivalry, but its use of older women humorously plays into the recent stereotype of older generations finding great interest in new tech and IPs. It would also eerily predict how out of control a lot of female-dominated fandoms would get in the next couple of years, complete with a legal trouble punchline.
#2
PSP-Cheese You Can Listen To Outside
During the 2000s, gaming culture was on its rise to mainstream dominance after being seen as "kiddy" or "nerdy" for the last couple of decades. Cable channels like G4 and the rise of sites like YouTube and Newgrounds played a part in this, but what also probably helped were the long list of over-the-top advertisements put out by companies during the decade.
As a kid who grew up with the Game Boy Advance and GameCube, I can certainly say that Nintendo had plenty of interesting ads to choose for this spot. However, I ultimately had to give thisslot to this commercial advertising a system I never actually owned; the PlayStation Portable.
Here, we see two mice meeting up at a storm drain, where one of them is listening to a few hunks of cheese that play music like loudspeakers. His friend tells him about an undisclosed device that can allow him to listen to cheese outside before the PSP is shown in all its glory with the tagline "It's like cheese you can listen to outside."
This little ad has a little bit of everything that made the 2000s special to me. Not only does the limited animation bring to mind the classic Newgrounds shorts of the era, but the New Yorker accents that the mice sport also bring to mind a lot of the "ghetto" culture of the era that I looked at with aversion as a child but can now respect as a curious product of its time as an adult. And the commercial isn't just full of cheese in the literal sense!
Before we make it to number 1, here are a few...
Honorable Mentions:
Capri Sun-Respect the Pouch
A perfect time capsule of the randomness of the late 2000s and early 2010s.
Hefty Zoo Pals Song
Probably the most memorably saccharine thing from the era.
All that rage just to sell slices of cheese?
A clever, reference filled commercial I even showed to my high school English teacher.
TV Boss PSA-Slasher
A funny reminder for parents to not let their kids watch slasher flicks until at least high school!
#1
Cartoon Network City Bumpers
I've spoken about Cartoon Network multiple times on this blog before and for good reason; They knew how to stand out from the crowd. Not only with their shows, but also with their bumpers, which take the top spot of this list.
During the Mid-2000s, the network would often air a few short wraparound bumpers in-between shows and commercial break that often featured characters from their programs interacting with one another in a large city made up of location from or based on said programs. These shorts provided a lot of nice novelty value and could often even pass off as short versions of the shows themselves.
These particular bumpers became well-loved and remembered in the minds of not only fans, but the network itself, going on to be referenced in many future programs such as OK K.O.: Let's Be Heroes!
Dozens of bumpers existed, including ones focused on specific shows and ones made for specific seasons. But I have posted some of my personal picks for the most memorable ones here.
First is an ad focusing on a plastic bag messing around the entire city, which sticks out to me for its memorable jokes and excellent use of its characters.
Next, we have a collection of bumpers for The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, as these are the ones that capture the spirit of their show the best in my opinion.
Finally, we have a set of bumpers made for the Easter Season, for being bright, colorful, and perfectly balancing the use of its characters with the season in celebration!
As we all know, commercials and advertising have been a huge part of our society since the advent of television. Each decade has had their own memorable commercials that have stood the test of time in the hearts of many. And they 2000s and 2010s were no different.
Over this past countdown, we took a look at some of the most notable advertisements that I personally remember from this decade. We've seen the cheesy, the cringy, and the iconic as we have explored this strange time capsule of early 21st century culture. And thanks to the magic of the internet, we were able to immortalize these legendary commercials via uploads such as these so that future generations may look into a time that they never knew. Though for those of us who did know, nothing will ever replace the feeling of watching these little snippets of advertising history on the old CRT.
Of course, this list is just my opinion. What about you? Are you a kid from the 2000s and/or 2010s who grew up with these commercials? What do you personally think about them? What are your favorites from the era? Do you think commercials like this should be brought back? Or do you feel like they never actually left? Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section below and share my blog on your preferred social media account! And stay tuned for more!
Dedicated to Tom Kane
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