Hasta La Creative!

In the early 2000s, the rapid growth of mobile and the debut of social media set the stage for life as we now know ita world where multimedia content is searched and served on-demand, where images trump text and where consumers play a central role in marketing.

The decade begins with the bust of the dot-com bubble in early 2000, marking the demise of many high-flying Internet companies and ad icons such as Pets.com and its sock-puppet mascot. In that year’s Super Bowl, 17 dot-com advertisers pay $44 million for spots; the following year, only three dot-com companies run ads during the big game. But despite the economic recession, the Sept. 11 attacks and the ensuing war on terrorism, rapid tech advances continue and advertisers roll out notable campaigns such as Budweiser’s “Whassup,” McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It” and Dove’s “Campaign for Real Beauty,” while Subway’s Jared and Geico’s Gecko become household names.

Over the first half of the decade, consumers continue to move onlineand onto their cell phones. In 2000, 46% of American adults use the Internet; five years later, 66% are online, according to Pew Research Center. Their access to the Internet gets easier and faster, too, with 33% of households having broadband in 2005, up from 3% in 2000. Enabled by more sophisticated Web development and design, consumers increasingly perform everyday tasks online, from browsing products to making travel reservations. E-commerce revenue sees significant growth, from $7.4 billion at the middle of 2000 to $24.1 billion in the third quarter of 2005, according to Census Bureau figures.

Continue reading at AdAge.com