The best adverts of the 2000s

Selection of 2000s ads
(Image credit: Bacardi, Dove, Honda, Sony, Carlton Draught, Apple, Cadbury's, Skoda, PG Tips, Compare the Market)

The best ads of the 2000s offer a glimpse into a unique moment in time. Think about it: at the turn of the Millenium, there were no smartphones, no tablets, no social media. And while the internet existed, it was slow, clunky and had limited appeal outside of geek circles. By the 2010s, though, it had invaded almost every aspect of our lives, from music and TV to shopping and banking, and even to social life and politics.

Like the best logos of the 2000s, the most notable ads of this era concisely captured this feeling that society was shifting in new and often disorientating directions. In this article, experts from across the design industry look back on the most iconic, entertaining and artful advertising of the 2000s. 

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Tom May

Tom May is an award-winning journalist and editor specialising in design, photography and technology. Author of the Amazon #1 bestseller Great TED Talks: Creativity, published by Pavilion Books, Tom was previously editor of Professional Photography magazine, associate editor at Creative Bloq, and deputy editor at net magazine. Today, he is a regular contributor to Creative Bloq and its sister sites Digital Camera World, T3.com and Tech Radar. He also writes for Creative Boom and works on content marketing projects.