Magazine names ten best products of the decade

(Courtesy of Apple)

Leading marketing and media publication AdvertisingAge has selected the most influential products from the past ten years, ranging from technological innovations such as the iPod or games like Guitar Hero to environment-friendly cars and the first designer denim range.

The iPod Classic, launched in 2001, revolutionized not only the mp3 player market but also the way the music industry works. Apple's range, which has an almost religious following, now includes the iPod Touch, Nano, and Shuffle.

Nintendo Wii, the game console, which competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3, is on the magazine's list mainly due to its "groundbreaking" advertising. According to AdAge, more than 50 million consoles have been sold worldwide.

On a similar note, the publication lists the "first social video game," Guitar Hero,
which inspired a themed party trend.

In beauty, Axe body spray "pushed the boundaries of sex and humor in ads and forged new frontiers for branded content," says AdAge, with campaigns joking about 'geeky' men turning into handsome 'hunks' and women consequently transforming from 'nice' to 'naughty.'

The Unilever brand is the biggest-selling beauty label for men outside razors and blades, while P&G's Crest Whitestrips, another product on the list, holds two-thirds of the teeth-whitening market due to its quick and cheap use.

In food, Subway's $5 Footlong sandwich (introduced in 2008) established the common price for a low-cost meal. The promotion was so successful that the fast food chain was forced to integrate the deal into its regular menu.

For the morning after, may we point to Danone's Activia yogurt, which made "digestive issues, such as occasional irregularity" über-public thanks to Jamie Lee Curtis and is now one of the top-selling products in its field.

Finally, in cars, AdAge cites BMW's stylish, retro-looking Mini Cooper and the Toyota Prius hybrid, while jeans brand 7 For All Mankind gets a special mention as the fashion product that introduced 'deluxe denim' to the market.

Read the full article at http://adage.com/article?article_id=141032.