Lovely commercial jingle

Nostalgic Commercials: Masterpiece Ads of the Heisei Era. TV commercials from the 2000s.

Editor-in-Chief, RAG MUSICKeisuke Hane
Editor-in-chief of RAG MUSIC. After working at a music studio and in wedding sound engineering, joined the RAG MUSIC editorial team in 2016. Experienced with various instruments: marching band in elementary school, clarinet in middle school wind ensemble, and drums in a band from high school onward. Drawing on personal music activities and professional experience, produces daily articles, including song introductions, features on music festivals around Japan, and live reports. Enjoys a wide range of music, from domestic and international rock to, more recently, a broad spectrum of J-pop.
music writerKOH-1
Started working as a music writer as a side job while employed at a record shop, and have been contributing to music magazines and web media for over 15 years. Although Western music is my main field, I always strive to stay curious with the motto, “I like what I like.” I have experience playing in a band, where I was a bassist responsible for songwriting and composition. Instruments I’ve performed on include bass, guitar, and piano. I resumed piano lessons after turning 40 and have been continuing ever since!

When you watch TV, you inevitably see commercials, right?

Even if we only half-watch them, those commercials often leave a surprisingly strong impression!

Commercials may be ads, but they’re impactful works in their own right.

In this article, we’ll focus on some especially memorable commercials from the 2000s.

Back in the 2000s, online content wasn’t as widespread as it is today, and many people watched a lot of television.

So among the commercials we’re about to introduce, you’ll likely find some that look familiar or feel wonderfully nostalgic.

Enjoy!

[Nostalgic Commercials] Masterpieces of the Heisei Era: 2000s Commercials (1–10)

Koikeya Pinky

Nostalgic commercial (2000): 'Pinky'

I think many people still remember the TV commercials for the tablet candy Pinky that debuted in 1997, especially the song featured in them.

There were several commercials where, when someone sang “Pinky, please! Pinky, please!”, an original character called Pinky Monkey would appear and give them some Pinky.

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Cecile 2003 commercial

[Nostalgic Commercial] Cecile 2003 Retro Japanese Commercials

This is a corporate commercial from Cecile that aired in 2003.

It’s a conceptual ad composed of various visuals accompanied by four words: love, dream, emotion, and departure into a new world.

You can’t tell what kind of company Cecile is just by watching this commercial, but for those who know Cecile, it conveys the company’s positive, hopeful attitude—it’s a wonderful ad, isn’t it?

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Combustion-type Amino Formula “Rotating Girl”

Good Vibes CM [Fat-Burning Amino Formula] (15-sec ver. × 4 spots)

The song that plays in this commercial basically just repeats the words “Nenshō-kei Amino-shiki,” but it really stuck in your head, didn’t it? I bet some people found themselves humming it.

What left the biggest impression, though, were the high-difficulty gymnastics and acrobatics shown along with the line “You don’t have to do exercises like this.” Of course, the whole package included the part where you mentally quip, “There’s no way anyone can copy that!!” The drink’s name, “Nenshō-kei,” means “to live life to the fullest,” not “to burn body fat.” It’s the kind of commercial that would probably make waves if it were revived now.

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[Nostalgic Commercials] Masterpiece commercials of the Heisei era. 2000s commercials (11–20)

Reve 21 2003 TV commercialAkiko Wada

2003 Akiko Wada - Reeve 21 Commercial - Japan

This is a commercial showing scenes from the “Japan’s Best Hair Growth Contest” held by Reve 21.

The footage features contestants expressing their excitement about growing new hair, and hearing real users’ voices like this really builds trust, doesn’t it? The background music is an original parody of the familiar song “Everybody Shake,” sung by Akko Wada (Akiko Wada).

You can’t help but be blown away by Akko’s powerful vocals riding the upbeat accompaniment.

It’s safe to say this is one of the most memorable commercial songs representing the 2000s.

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LOTTE Fit’s

Takeru Satoh, Nozomi Sasaki, commercial, Lotte, Fit’s

Fit’s is a chewing gum by Lotte that launched in March 2009.

Its hallmark was a softer chew compared to other gums, paired with a catchy jingle featuring the phrase “funyan-funyan.” The commercials, in which Nozomi Sasaki and Takeru Satoh danced to the CM song, became a major talking point.

The ads ran as a series at the time, with the pair’s dance and a developing storyline—many viewers enjoyed following the new installments.

Plus, Naomi Watanabe also appeared behind the two leads and danced along!

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Takefuji

Takefuji commercial

The commercials for Takefuji, which operated until 2010.

Many people probably remember the sight of numerous women performing perfectly synchronized dances like idols or dance groups.

In fact, these women were a dance group called the Takefuji Dancers, composed of members selected through auditions.

The catchy dance track has remained the same since the first broadcast in 1990: “SYNCHRONIZED LOVE” by singer-songwriter and music producer Joe Rinoie.

The impactful choreography stays flawlessly in sync right up to the final pose! It’s a commercial that makes you think, “It looks difficult, but I kind of want to try dancing it.”

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Hokuto (HOKTO)

Hokuto Commercial - Ballet Edition

This is a commercial from Hokuto, a company that produces edible mushrooms, known to many for its catchy jingle.

Various mushrooms appeared as characters in the ads, and a song introducing each mushroom played as the background music.

Multiple versions featuring these cute mushroom characters were made, delighting viewers each time like short animated episodes.

The song used in the commercials was released on CD in 2003 under the name Kinoko All Stars as “Kinoko no Uta” (The Mushroom Song).

Some supermarkets even played the track in their mushroom sections, and not only the ads themselves but also the song and the characters left a strong impression on many who watched the commercials.

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