5 ad campaigns that changed the world

There was a time in the early 2000s when it was common to hear somebody answer the phone using the following greeting: 'Whasssssuuuup?!' For a while – far too long, actually – this tagline from a Budweiser commercial became more than a tool to sell beer. It became part of our culture. It changed the world – in it's own, small, weird way.

Few industries have more access to our everyday lives than advertising. A lot of it – radio spots, TV commercials, billboards – is background noise (although see our list of the best billboard advertising for print ads that got it right) . But every now then an ad cuts through that noise and becomes, if only briefly, something greater than a tool to sell stuff.

Below are five ads that did exactly that. Because really good ads make people answer the phone differently. But really great ads make people think differently. 

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Gary Evans is a journalist with a passion for creative writing. He's recently finished his Masters in creative writing, but when he's not hitting the books, he loves to explore the world of digital art and graphic design. He was previously staff writer on ImagineFX magazine in Bath, but now resides in Sunderland, where he muses on the latest tech and writes poetry.