Lovely commercial jingle

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

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

Last updated:2025/9/29

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)

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Pocari SweatHaruka Ayase

Haruka Ayase POCARI SWEAT

When you think of Otsuka Pharmaceutical’s Pocari Sweat, doesn’t it strongly evoke images of youth? In the 2000s, a series of ads featuring Haruka Ayase portraying various scenes of adolescence drew a lot of attention.

They convey a bright, energetic atmosphere of dashing headlong through youth, while reminding us that staying hydrated is essential to enjoy it to the fullest.

The fresh blue sky and the blue packaging of Pocari Sweat work in harmony, highlighting Haruka Ayase’s smile and the brilliance of youth in these commercials.

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Shiseido AnessaYuri Ebihara

Yuri Ebihara appears in the 2007 Shiseido ANESSA commercial.

This is a Shiseido Anessa sunscreen commercial that aired in 2007.

It shows five women in swimsuits running along the beach, but if you look closely, all of them are Yuri Ebihara! The memorable twist is that Ebihara appears to have duplicated herself.

The background music was by RIP SLYME, who were at the height of their popularity at the time.

The song, titled “Mata Kimi ni Aeru” (I’ll See You Again), was written specifically for this commercial.

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Mandom Gatsby X-Hard ColorMasahiro Motoki

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Among the Gatsby commercials that aired during the Heisei era, many people probably remember the ones featuring Masahiro Motoki.

This particular spot made an especially strong impact and is often cited as a classic.

Motoki appears with a flamboyant mohawk worthy of a ’90s visual-kei band, and the gimmick where his mohawk flutters open and closed in time with Chiyoko Shimakura’s “Jinsei Iroiro” still feels remarkably fresh even today.

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Koikeya Polinky

Koikeya “Porinky”

Polinky is a snack released by Koikeya in 1990.

It featured a trio of characters called the Three Polinkies, and the original song that put the snack’s shape and delicious secret into the lyrics was unforgettable! The tune was so catchy that you couldn’t help but hum along, and it surely remains in many people’s memories.

By the way, you might expect the song to reveal the secret, but in the end it wraps up with a cheeky line: “We’re not telling you!”

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Setagaya Natural Foods Glucosamine

TV commercial

This is a commercial for Setagaya Natural Foods’ supplements, which many people probably remember for its original song, “Guruguru, guruguru, Glucosamine.” If you were an elementary school student in the 2000s, chances are you imitated the move of rotating your knees while singing along.

It’s a good example of a jingle becoming the identity of a commercial.

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Coca-Cola GEORGIA

[Yoshimoto All-Stars] Let's go with GEORGIA. 'There's Always Tomorrow♪' Commercial Compilation [All 20 Versions]

The Georgia coffee commercials featured an impressive lineup including Downtown, Cocorico, and London Boots No.

1 and No.

2.

Looking back, it was a really star-studded series of ads—Yukie Nakama appeared as well.

The CM song, a cover of Kyu Sakamoto’s Ashita ga Aru Sa, was also released by the unit Re:Japan and became a hit, didn’t it? There’s also a version in the commercials sung by Ulfuls.

There are so many spots, and they’re all so nostalgic that you end up wanting to watch every single one.

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Ajinomoto Cook Do 2006Noritake Kinashi, Ayaka Miyoshi

Ajinomoto Cook Do Noritake Kinashi & Ayaka Miyoshi 2006 TV commercials (4 spots)

This commercial portrays Noritake Kinashi and Ayaka Miyoshi as a family, highlighting how Cook Do supports their family time together.

By showing humorous moments—like voting on the menu or waiting with a bowl of rice for the main dish—it conveys the idea of deliciousness that accompanies happiness.

The music further amplifying those positive emotions depicted on screen is “Pomp and Circumstance.” Its expansive, powerful arrangement is striking, and you can sense a bright atmosphere and forward-looking emotions from the sound.

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