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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Freelance writer

Gary Evans is a freelance journalist and travel writer. He is a former staff writer for Creative Bloq, ImagineFX, 3D World, and other Future Plc titles.