The 100 Best Brands of the 2000s

This feature was originally published on November 23, 2009

So far, we've looked back at everything from movies to t-shirts in our Best of the 2000s series. But today we're dropping a list that trumps them all: The 100 Best Brands of the 2000s. Sure, your favorite company might have dropped a hot sneaker, song, gadget, or snack over the last 10 years (2000-2009), but are they truly a decade-defining brand? Our countdown focuses only on the iconic brand names that built the culture to which Complex speaks, from Dipset to Google and everything in between. You might be surprised to see who made the cut...

A brand built on turbo-charged performance and the most reliable family cars on the market gave up its performance roots to focus on environmentally friendly family cars in the 2000s (they also brought forth Scion, but we're not going to talk about that here). Going after the middle paid off- Toyota is now the world's largest automaker. It's also viewed as the greenest, thanks to the Prius. This car's quirky styling and awesome gas mileage has become the face of green motoring worldwide.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
The original company name was Toyoda, named after founder Kiichiro Toyoda.

Raw denim, military influences, and biker style were three major style trends in the Aughts. Guess what this Dutch clothing company excels in? You could call it a fortuitous coincidence, but we think it's more about how a quality brand sets trends as opposed to following them.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
The brand's GSRD foundation contributes to worthy causes like the End Poverty 2015 campaign. Parasuco ain't up on that!

Create a loyal consumer base by making quality product, and your brand becomes trend-proof. Yeah, Mitchell & Ness got really hot really quick when rappers suddenly became obsessed with its $350 throwback jerseys, and we all know how that ended, but M&N hasn't been around since 1904 for nothing. It survived fickle trends because hardcore sports fans will always appreciate faithful recreations of old-school jerseys, regardless of a Jigga co-sign.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
M&N's revenue rocketed from $2.2 million in 1999 to $55 million in 2004. After sales flagged, adidas acquired the company in 2007.

How does a frozen yogurt franchise that came into existence in 2005 make the list? Ask one of the self-proclaimed groupies of the "Swirly Goodness", or better yet, go out and taste a "medium original with two toppings". It's crack! It's a remarkable small-business success storythat leveraged a niche product with the constant celebrity patronage into never-ending marketing buzz. The Ed Hardy of ice cream? It's easy to hate, but rather unnecessary.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
In order to meet the California Department of Food and Agriculture's definition of frozen yogurt, Pinkberryaltered its recipe and increased the number of bacterial cultures per ounce in its products in 2008.

They never matched the Wu's commercial success (or critical acclaim), but the Diplomats brought that Shaolin one-for-all ethos to the Aughts. When the Dipset movement was movin', there wasn't a stronger (or more entertainingly ignorant) crew in hip-hop: they made a bunch of dope mixtapes and a host of near-classic LPs. Of course, success resulted in too many Dips wanting to be the Rza, and the team splintered by the end of the decade.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
No Dipset reunion is on the horizon as of yet, but remember six years elapsed between Iron Flag and 8 Diagrams. Give it time.

Up until 2000, the venerable L.A. burger spot had never expanded outside of California (and Las Vegas), but this decade saw it parlay cult status into a Southwestern regional force with new locations in Nevada, Arizona, and Utah. This is is all well and good, but the fact that even New Yorkers know what "4x4 Animal style" means should be a tip that the brand's got power beyond its patties. Oh, and everything there tastes AWESOME.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
The chain prints tiny Biblical references on its wrappers and cups. It's cool, we guess- cheeseburger's aren't kosher anyway.

Proving once again that porn is both an early adopter and a driver of technology, the mighty BB acted on a hunch that decent quality online video would be the wave of the future. This brand remade the world of adult entertainment in the new milennium. Not only did its purveyors turn the gonzo/POV trend into the default genre of the industry, but its ever-expanding empire of niche sites has led to numerous knockoffs playing catch-up. Fucking brilliant.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
The brand runs 29 discrete sites, the funniest name of which—by far—is Power Munch.

Hoover held down branded vacuums for years, but James Dyson convinced homeowners that they needed a $400 one. After making the highly-designed vacuum a desireable item, Dyson evolved its mark as one of quality and innnovation with recent developments in dryer and fan technology.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
James Dyson is a knight in the UK.

How do you know you've truly made it? When you leave your high school sweetheart for a model, appear on a Forbes list and cop a G4 or G5 private jet. You may not know anything about the Georgia based company, but you do you know their products are synonymous with success.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
The Gulfstream 1 was used by the US Navy by navigators training for the A-6 Intruder.

Under Armour is the defacto when it comes to keeping cool, supported, and protected on the field or court. The brand went from an underwear company to Nike's biggest nightmare in a few short years. In our world, we're guessing their shot at relevance is in the next ten years, but we have to give the nod for straight killing it in such a short period of time.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Under Armour was started by two University of Maryland athletes in the basement of co-founder Kevin Plank's grandmother's basement.

To be a Sox fan at the beginning of the decade was to live in a sports hell: no world championships in 80 years and the hated Yankees racking up more rings than Liz Taylor. Then a funny thing happened on the way to Boston getting swept by New York in the 2004 American League Championship Series: Dave Roberts stole second, Dave Ortiz bopped a home run, Curt Schilling bled all over his sock, and Alex Rodriguez played patty cake with Bronson Arroyo. Next thing you know, the BoSox have two World Series titles, and the truly unthinkable happened: all the insufferable Massholes we know suddenly got even more annoying. Wicked pissah indeed.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
In 2004 the Sox became the first team to win eight consecutive games in a single postseason.

Purdue Pharma introduced their brand of the opioid analgesic Oxycodone in 1996, and by 2001 it was selling $1 billion worth of the stuff a year. This brand of pain killer was helped along by aggressive marketing that included promotional beach hats, CDs, and a product that was as addictive as anything the world had seen in quite some time. For better or worse, Oxy has become the new drug of the millenium, the poster pill for fucked up college kids and midwest couch surfers.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Poor Purdue Pharma. In 2007 three of the company's execs pleaded guilty for misrepresenting the brand by claiming it had a "less euphoric effect" than it actually did, perhaps the first time a company was forced to pay $634 million felony misbranding fine for underselling its product.

The decade didn't start out so hot for the comic genius: his "Freaks and Geeks" and "Undeclared" shows were cancelled after short, but highly acclaimed runs. Then he served as a producer on Anchorman, wrote and directed a couple movies you may have heard of called The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up(prominently featuring actors he'd worked with on his failed TV shows), and became one of Hollywood's most sought after filmmakers. Revenge is a dish best served funny.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Judd was roommates with Adam Sandler (star of Apatow's Funny People) in the 1980s.

BMW's have always been in style, but they once again became cutting edge during the 2000's thanks in part to design chief Chris Bangles' bleeding edge, loathed as much as they were loved, designs. While other auto groups were trying to dump their brands, the past decade saw the purchase of Rolls Royce and Mini Cooper by the BMW group.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
The McLaren F1, considered to be one of the best supercars ever made, is powered by a V12 BMW motor.

It turns out recording artists can make a lot more money by not signing their lives away to major labels. Who knew?! Koch Records was founded in 1999 and was originally home to artists like Cledus T. Judd (a.k.a. the country Weird Al), but by the middle of the decade it had become the go-to indie for rap artists from Cam'ron to B.G. "I can make $7 a record at Koch" was typical rapper overstatement, but it sure beat giving your first-born child to the [INSERT MAJOR LABEL'S NAME HERE] marketing department.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
In 2008, Koch released Yung Berg's Look What You Made Me as well as two albums by Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends.

Who wants to see movies on four-story tall screens with deafening sound? Who don't! In the Aughts, Hollywood studios finally embraced the technology, making IMAX no longer the exclusive domain of nature films. Destined to be on this list again in ten years if porn companies ever get around to making the conversion.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Six sequences in The Dark Knight were shot with IMAX cameras, making the movie that much more awesome.

In the decade when everybody and their grandmomma's momma came out with an energy/sports/ED-curing drink, Gatorade maintained its no. 1 spot. We're sure it didn't hurt being the official drink of every damn professional sports league you can think of, Michael Jordan, and Tiger Woods. It seems safe to say that even with their re-brand, the company doesn't seem in any danger of losing its O.G. status. Get it? Oh Gee? Sorry, had to.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Despite its re-brand earlier this year, Gatorade has no plans to resurrect Gator Gum. Which sucks, 'cause "G Gum" sounds kinda dope.

In the celebrity mad/hating Aughts, here's a winning business plan if we've ever heard of one: A website-TV show that features "reporters" harassing celebs until they snap and start whooping the photographers. Gold! Hard to believe, but TMZ's only been around since '05—it only seemslike they were the ones that killed Princess Diana.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
"TMZ" stands for "thirty mile zone," referring to the area within a 30-mile radius of Beverly and La Cienaga Boulevards in L.A.

One of the pillars of conspicuous consumption name-dropping in the Aughts. It probably wasn't Wilhelm Maybach's prime motivation when he decided to name his car company after himself in 1909, but there are just so many cool words that rhyme with his last name. "Peel back," "way back," good ol' simple "crack": all way more fun to put in your song than "fetus." Step your name game up Toyota!

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
We hate to get all technical, but it's actually pronounced "May-bock."

"Tiger Tiger Woods y'all"...yup, that's how one person becomes a brand. In the Aughts, the best golfer of all time picked up a Tiger Slam, tweaked his swing and came back, snagged a hot Nordic wife, and there's more fun yet to come: dude's yet to turn 34. People laughed when his pops told them he'd change the world, but it looks like Earl probably had his son's career arc pegged.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
The biggest all-time ratings for three of golf's four Grand Slam events were for tournaments that Tiger won.

Whole Foods may actually hurt business for local organic food producers, but its 276 U.S., Canadian, and U.K. groceries have undeniably contributed to the "natural" food revolution. Plus, it's incredibly easy to impress the throngs of health-conscious chicks who shop there. "Why yes, my sack is reusable!"

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
As of October 2009, Whole Foods places fourth on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's list of Top 25 Green Power Partners for its investments in wind and solar power.

Though founded back in '91, the Japanese denim brand didn't see widespread American success until the 2000s. As the demand for high-quality, high-priced denim grew, Evisu and its trademark handpainted seagull came to represent the pinnacle within this category. It also helped that Jay-Z shouted them out on "Show You How." It may have faltered a bit by the end of the decade, but things are looking up: Evisu just relaunched an all-new SS 2010 men's denim line exclusively at Barneys New York.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Scott Morrison, co-founder of Earnest Sewn, was named CEO and creative director this past year. We wish him all the luck in the world.

Although it is a large umbrella made of many different companies (Lacoste footwear, clothing, and scents are all made by different groups), the Lacoste brand remains consistent as a mark of preppy European quality. French designer Christophe Lemaire's work to create a more modern, upscale look helped rejuvenate the clothing in the mid 2000s, helping confirm the quality mark of the little alligator.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Lacoste claims that the alligator on the chest of its classic tennis shirt in 1933 was the first time that a brand was outwardly shown on a piece of clothing. However, the "Jantzen girl" logo appeared on the outside of Jantzen Knitting Mills' swimsuits as early as 1921.

Supra showed that indie footwear brands can kill it. Piggy-backing off of Chad Muska's singature shoe, the Skytop, ending up on Jay-Z and Lil Wayne's feet, the brand has proven it has the consitency to stay relevant in an over-crowded market. Look for Terry Kennedy's "Society" and take-two of the Skytop to do numbers in 2010 and beyond.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
The Skytop II releases this December.

Margiela is a respected fashion house, known for deconstructed garments, creative tagging and subtle logotyping. It has come to represent the pinnacle in luxury fashion in the second half of the aughts. The best part of the label though, and the reason it makes our list, is the never-ending name checks in 2008-9. People who have no idea what Margiela is, now know what Margiela is.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Throughout his career, Martin Margiela has maintained an extremely low profile. He has never had his picture taken and remains backstage after his shows. It was announced last month that he no longer designs the collection, and that in fact, has not designed the collection himself for some time now. Talk about the power of keeping a low profile...

Creative Rec came into the game as an independent footwear label, showing us that there were options beyond the big 3. Now an international brand, it sells throughout Europe, Asia, and the United States with everyone from Hollywood to Broadway checking for the preppy footwear.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Creative Recreation was started by former Vans employees.

German pilsner Beck's and Dutch lager Heineken owned the 1990s, but in the 2000s Belgian lager Stella Artois became the brew of choice for Americans who wanted to drink something from Europe. Hey, it's better than adopting their fashion!

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
"Anno 1366" on the Stella Artois logo refers to the earliest recorded brewing in Leuven, Belgium, where the company was started.

In the summer of 2000, Craig Newmark's San Fransisco classifieds site expanded to seven major cities, and chances are your local economy was never quite the same. Looking for a girl to live in your apartment, tonight? You know the drill.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Craigslist serves over 20 billion page views per month, making it the 8th most popular website in the United States.

Opening Ceremony started in 2002 as a place to get weird fashion stuff in New York. It has ascended to a cultural powerhouse that can bring brands up to the top, or back from the dead. In addition to it's three locations (NY, L.A., and Tokyo), Opening Ceremony has an in-house brand and a showroom where it sells several lines. If a product is in Opening Ceremony, it is cool.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Opening Ceremony's newest Tokyo location, opened this summer, is an 8-level conceptual department store mini-mall. That is a lot of stuff.

Levi's is a classic mark and brand, a fit and quality that can be trusted. In the 2000s, the brand experimented with collaborations with Damien Hirst in the US and Hiroshi Fujiwara and Atmos in Japan. Coupled with the resurgence of workwear, and the fact that many of the startup denim brands of the Auts simply copied the classic Levi's cuts, the brand has seen re-birth as a style staple. Look for the "XX" label this spring, an ultra-limited take on vintage cuts and washes.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
According to the New York Times, Levi Strauss leads the apparel industry in trademark infringement cases, filing nearly 100 lawsuits against competitors since 2001. Most cases center on the alleged imitation of Levi's back pocket double arc stitching pattern (U.S. trademark #1,139,254).

Many fledgling lines got lost in the cool-guy clusterfuck of the early Aughts, and many more pulled the plug in the throes of the recession. Not only did Lrg stay alive, but it flourished by staying credible to its core consumers. Launched in '99, Lrg can pretty much claim the title of streetwear brand of the decade. Remember, 'Ye was the Lrg Don before he got Louie V money.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
The company was started in January 1999 with $200K of investment money; it made its first profit in 2002.

Americans make something and then the Japanese take it and make it better. They do it with our cars, TVs, and in the case of Neighborhood, our Americana denim and biker culture. If a product is Neighborhood, it sells out in New York, regardless of the price (which is insanely high). That's just how it is. Solid brand, moves product. There has recently been some Internet shakeup over some Nazi imagery in the Fall 2009 collection, we'll see how this effects the power of the brand from here on out.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Neighborhood designer Kazuki has a capsule collection with adidas under the ObyO line.

Motorola had always been at the forefront of communication innovation, going all the way back to the DynaTAC (bka the Zach Morris phone). The company changed the cell phone game twice with the StarTac and then the two way pager, but it was the unbelievably thin Razr that cemented it's spot on this list. The ingenious design had everyone clamoring for one the way they do for iPhones now. We'll see if the Droid and it's children can make the brand desireable in the next decade.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
In 1969, Neil Armstrong spoke the famous words "one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind" from the Moon on a Motorola Radio.

When Serato first released Scratch Live in 2004, the vinyl emulation software was met with more skepticism than German hip hop.The New Zealand-based company joined the Rane Corporation to get the product to the hands of the right artists (Jazzy Jef, Afrika Bambaataa, ?estlove, AM), and a few years later, even the staunchest of the vinyl junkies had converted. Serato put out a game-changing product and did a great job marketing it, and turned its brand mark and name into the benchmark within the category.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Serato has written hidden "Easter Eggs" to most versions of Scratch Live. One of them is a stripped-down version of the game Pong.

Recession or not, there is always a market for reasonably priced wardrobe staples- no one's too cool for a sweater. The brand brought on a solid design team and reinvented the brand in time for people with no money to spend all of it on khakis. Good materials, good craftsmanship, good idea. Crew love for real.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
2008 saw a rare misstep as the company introduced its Crewmutts line for your sister dogs. The line was discontinued earlier this year.

What started out as a daily blogspot that aggregated all things founder Kevin Ma was interested in, Hypebeast grew into the daily go-to for those looking to stay on top of new and forthcoming releases in the arenas of streetwear, sneakers, grown-up toys, and whatever KAWS was doing next. Now Hypebeast is a word used to describe the category, making it a brand beyond the blog.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Kanye West has referred to himself as "the walking Hypebeast"

This addictive website for rap fans not only posts videos before MTV and BET gets them, and breaks songs before the country's best radio DJs get them, but it's also the one-stop destination for everything in rap-related news on a daily basis. Besides the posts, feel free to dive into the comment pool for some of the most off-topic awesomeness on the 'nets today.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
The site's head-honcho goes by the name eskay, which he acquired during his graffiti days.

In the 2000s, Vice turned itself from a heroin-slamming 'zine into a media powerhouse at the front of Vice records, films, Virtrue advertising, and an events company. The mark of hipster youth (or 30-something hipsters living the dream through a pair of Terry Richardson's rose-tinted glasses).

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Gavin McInnes, an original founder of Vice, split from the crew to create streetbonersandtvcarnage.com. It's a lot like Vice.

Incase makes quality product, but the company has taken its image beyond that. How many other iPhone case companies do you know by brand name or recognize by shape? A series of artist collaborations and innovative bag and protective ideas has made this the premier brand in its category.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Incase is partly owned by Damon Way, the same guy who founded DC shoes, and the likely conduit for the bag collaboration between the two companies.

Originally an online bookstore, Amazon.com has grown into the largest online retailer in the U.S. If Americans weren't fat and lazy enough before, we certainly are now that we don't even have to stand up to buy all the bulk candy and blow up dolls we desire. (What? Like you've never bought a life-like headless torso to have sex with.)

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Amazon.com is three times larger than the number two online retailer, Staples, Inc. Who knew people wouldn't clamor to buy shit from an exciting site named after an office supply?!

Hiroshi Fujiwara's name sold (and sells!) products. Whether a blacked out Nike or a collaboration with Kangol, the HF touch affixes a premium mark that makes an ordinary product cool.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
The founder of A Bathing Ape, Nigo, has a name that translates as "number two". Hiroshi was the original number one, he gave Nigo his start as mentor and advisor.

J. Darius Bikoff, the founder of Energy Brands Glaceau, introduced Smartwater in 1996. Fueled by the moderate (relatively speaking) success of the electrolyte-enhanced water that came in Philippe Starck-designed bottles, the entrepreneur rolled out Vitaminwater in 2000, and the rest is history. Vitaminwater transformed the non-carbonated beverages market. Oh, and they got 50 too!

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Coca-Cola bought Glaceau in 2007 for $4.2 billion in cash.

Not everybody reads comics, but damn near all of us watch movies. In the 2000s, Marvel's movie production companies churned out all types of ass-kicking superhero blockbusters that won with mainstream moviegoers and comic heads. We can't cosign the bullshit flicks that disgraced the Daredevil and Punisher properties, but others like Spider-Man, Blade II, X2: X-Men United, and Iron Manwere enough to make us throw on some tights and a cape. And then even dress like a superhero.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Marvel characters or teams currently slated to get their own films include Deadpool, Thor, Magneto, Venom, Nick Fury, Iron Fist, Ant-Man, The Avengers, Silver Surfer, the Sub-Mariner, Luke Cage, Deathlok, Dr. Strange, Captain America, and the Runaways.

DC made it's mark with fat shoes in the ’90s, but became dominant culturally in the 2000s starting with "The DC Video" and continuing on to artists projects, bike re-issues and crazy antics by DC pros Danny Way and Rob Dyrdek. DC entered the snowboard boot market in the early 2000s and recently introduced snowboards to the market.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
DC founder Damon Way started as a pro skateboarder, but due to an injury, retired to the creative side in the early years of the company. He spearheaded early collaborations with Kaws and Shepard Fairey, before artist footwear was a trend.

After General Motors purchased the Hummer name in 1998, GM set out to commercialize the popular utilitarian military truck by introducing the more livable H2 and H3. The two models were instant successes, and were at the top of their game when it came to acting tough, rich, and like a complete asshole (in a good way). Then gas prices shot through the sky and Hummers became the poster children for environmentally unfriendly cars. Tough break.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
After going bankrupt, General Motors sold the Hummer brand to the Chinese based company Sichuan Tengzhong.

As far as we're concerned, ALIFE brought the second coming of sneakerhead-dom. They did the whole Limited Edition, buzz-you-in exclusive thing before it was a corporate catchphrase, and have parlayed it into four stores, an independent footwear label with their stamp on it, and continual collaborations between brands and artists. The ALIFE mark goes beyond the product, ALIFE is a lifestyle.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Tony Arcabascio, one of the founders of ALIFE, is now the creative director for WeSC.

Remember when Disney movies used to be the biggest family entertainment event of the year? Pixar stole the crown in 2003 with the release of Finding Nemo. The rest is history. The subsequent winning streak—including classics like The Incredibles, WALL-E, and Up—made them the only game in town for high-quality animated children's movies that also appealed to adults.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Pixar is currently developing Newt for a 2012 release.

Not only do the six locations from Los Angeles to Tokyo carry the best in current drops, they also shelve the sick collaborations UNDFTD churns out on a monthly basis. Besides footwear, UNDFTD as a clothing brand has established itself as one of the marquee names in streetwear. With Eddie Cruz at the helm, don't expect this mark to be losing anytime soon.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
In the "What About Bob?" episode of Entourage, Turtle tries to score limited edition Air Force 1's from UNDFTD.

For basic cable, Comedy Central had some of the most intelligent and biting social, economic, political, and racial satire during the fuckery that was the Bush presidency (Chappelle's Show, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, South Park, and even Reno 911!). Not only did it make us laugh, but it also informed us of more real-life bullshit than actual news. It's almost enough to make us forgive the channel its love affair with Dane Cook.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
The conservative group Parents Television Council has accused Comedy Central of bigotry and blasphemy. Probably part of the reason we love the channel so goddamn much.

While some "digital companies" pecked away at the dream in Mom's basement, the Gawker media company went forth and established one of the most powerful networks on the Internets. Steadily killing it in all categories: NY Gossip (Gawker), Sports (Deadspin), video games (Kotaku), auto (Jaloponik) tech (Gizmodo), and porn culture (Fleshbot) it's impossible not to respect the conglomerate.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
The Gawker Media Company currently has 7 sites listed in the top 20 on Sitemeter.com.

An athletically gifted physical freak, King James got paid straight from high school to the NBA. He racked up endorsement deals to sell everything from Nike shoes to State Farm insurance, and defined "aspirational" in the Aughts. Nobody moves shoes like MJ, but Lebron may actually be a more charismatic pitchman.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
With annual earnings of $27 million, LBJ topped the Forbes Top 20 Earners Under 25 in 2007. He's 19 on the 2009 celebrity 100 with $40 million. Sweet damn, it's good to be King!

Wal Mart kicked in the door in the '90s, but something always made you feel dirty about shopping there. Not Target though—excuse us, Targét. This discount superstore brilliantly cast itself as the hip alternative to bloated suburban sprawl. With the chain finally expanding nationwide in 2000, Target's simple, strangely pleasing bullseye logo and stylish marketing campaigns convinced even the bougiest shoppers to give one-stop-shopping a shot.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Parent company Dayton Hudson, which founded the Target chain in 1962, changed the name to the Target Corporation in 2000.

Starting in 2003, Boo Boo moved up the global ranks to become an all-encompassing musical and branding tour de force. He broke album sales records and successfully moved into clothing, movies, and $3 sugar water. There was so much excitement around his brand that obnoxious young kids around the world started scrawling G-UNIT!! on city walls. The bubble ultimately burst some time in 2007, but there's no denying that the Unit had it's run. Who knows what the future holds, Fifty is a genius when it comes to this stuff.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
In 2005, 50 became the first artist to have three records in the Billboard Top 5 in the same week.

If you watched the 2004 Democratic National Convention, you remember the young senator from Illinois who gave a speech that sent chills up your spine. When he announced he was running for president, you probably thought, "Too bad he's gonna get crushed by Clinton money." BUT THE MOTHERFUCKER WON. And his victory was due in no small part to brand management: brilliant logos, harnessing the Internet like no politician had yet been able to, and everything else that helped him connect with the people who mattered- those who cared enough to vote.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Don't trust us a bunch of smartasses with too many sneakers? Ask Newsweek.

Jordan's NBA career (finally, for real) ended at the beginning of the decade, but his Nike brand was just getting started. The retro reissues were an everyday staple across cultures, and the brand that started sneaker collecting sat at the top of round two when it began all over again in the two thousands. At the end of the day, there's still nothing like a fresh pair of J's.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Jordan's son Marcus insisted on wearing his white Air Jordans while playing for University of Central Florida, costing the school its adidas sponsorship.

Hip-hop's larger-than-life one-man hype machine started the decade by Harlem shakin' his way into one of NYC's biggest tabloid stories ever. But Puff bounced back bigger than ever, deftly working his "Can't Stop, Won't Stop" energy into every corner of the universe: soccer moms who watch Ellen, classic reality TV drama, the 2004 election (Vote or Die!), a broadway play, the New York Marathon, and an endless stream of manic Diddy Blogs. Shit, he even made some decent music along the way.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
After appearing at #3 top of Forbes Magazine's "Hip-Hop Cash Kings" list in 2007, Diddy appeared with Jay-Z (#1) and 50 Cent (#2) on the "I Get Money (Forbes 1,2,3 Remix)."

Casio's classic '80s digital watches never really went out of style, but starting in the late '90s, the once simple design opened up to new models, outside designers, and special editions. With the rise of the international streetwear scene, these ulta-durable rubber timepieces became an essential companion to the wayward cool guy.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
G-Shock has been the preferred watch of military Special Forces ever since its appearance in the 1999 book and subsequent movie Blackhawk Down.

Converse was a ’90s brand and Converse was an ’80s brand, sure. But in the 2000s, the rise of the hipster and the desire for simple, cheap footwear made the Chuck Taylor a style staple (again). Beyond that, Converse's alignments with Product (RED) and John Varvatos have given the brand new life and continued relevance throughout the Aughts.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
The Converse rubber shoe company started in 1908, but didn't create the iconic basketball sneaker until 1917.

IKEA's global impact during the Aughts was as much about the experience the Swedish retailer provided at its giant blue stores as it was about well-designed, affordable furniture. Somewhere along the lifestyle-driven showrooms, play areas for children, and restaurants serving cheap yet tasty food (who doesn't like their meatballs?), looking for home furnishings became a family outing/date/leisure activity rather than a stressful shopping trip. Result? In 2008, IKEA did 21.2 billion euros in sales, up from 12.8 in 2004. That's a shit load of Lack, Ivar, Bjursta, Leksvik, and (enter weird Swedish/Norwegian/Scandinavian word here) units they moved...

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
IKEA's annual catalog, first published in 1951, is now the third most printed book in the world after the Bible and Harry Potter.

Medicom rose in the American spotlight through the Auts. From its insanely limited Nike SB collaboration dunks to the plethora of vinyl toys and the Original Fake clothing line with Kaws, the Medicom mark means "cool". We're not sure what we're going to do with all those Be@rbricks we've been buying up, but they're pretty awesome to have around.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Instead of having an online store, the Medicom site sends you to eBay. If people are going to re-sell it, might as well embrace it!

Myspace was the first social networking site to truly go mainstream (sorry, Facebook), but there's a reason they got abandoned like a chubby girlfriend on prom night. It had less ads and spam, and the ability to customize content and actually work as a communications tool made the switch easy. "Facebook me," is commonly heard these days, a brand that is synonymous with social networking.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Mark Zuckerberg started Facebook's predecessor Facemash in 2003 by hacking into Harvard's computer network and stealing all the school's dormitory ID images.

As the first video game publisher to release yearly updates of its sport franchises, EA built a reputation for the most up-to-date sports games on the market. Ever heard of Madden? Yeah, they kill it.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
EA owns the exclusive video game rights to the NFL, NASCAR, and NCAA football. However, they lost their MLB rights in 2005 to 2KSports.

You used to have to spend most of a Thursday afternoon calling various retail establishments and schlepping around town if you were looking to buy an F18 or a 45-million-year old aphid fossil,but no more. eBay was already a juggernaut as the decade kicked off, but in the Aughts it became a bona fide cultural phenomenon—and we're not just saying that so they'll remove those nasty comments toejamaficionado_31 left about us (although it'd be awful nice if they did).

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
In 2005, a partially eaten, 10-year-old grilled cheese sandwich bearing the image of the Virgin Mary sold for $28,000. And it could've sold for $28,001 if those jerks had just extended the auction five fucking minutes until we got home from church.

We've said it before—Japan gets it in. Maybe not in everything, but it's certainly true with Uniqlo and its budget-friendly, high-quality basics. In 2006, the Japanese retailer came through and crushed buildings with its ginormous three-level NYC store, dripping with $30 raw denim and $60 cashmere sweaters. Now if only Japan would send over some of those hot-coffee vending machines.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
The only Uniqlo store in the U.S. is its Soho NYC flagship; there are 703 in Japan, 41 in South Korea, 38 in China, and 14 in the U.K.

Burton is a mark of quality and pinnacle product in snowboarding, and no brand in its space has yet been able to compete with its dominance. In the 2000s, Burton put snowboarding on the world stage by sponsoring the Olympic team and signing Shaun White to a massive multi-year contract. The brand brought innovation to the table year after year, and created an industry that followed in its product innovation footsteps.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Burton's iDiom line was originally designed for the Japanese market by Hiroshi Fujiwara, a series of desireable products that, in conjunction with his Nike and Head Porter projects, helped put him on the international map.

If you're not into anime or old Hanna-Barbera joints, then the Cartoon Network seemed to be much ado about nothing- until the freakshows at Williams Street Productions expanded on their Space Ghost re-fix to birth the Adult Swim lineup. From The Brak Show,to Sealab 2021 and Aqua Teen Hunger Force to newer offerings like Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, the programming block (now its own network) redefined what "cartoons" could be: hilarious, bizarre, and filthy.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
You have Adult Swim to thank for 2005's MF Doom/Dangermouse collab album, The Mouse and the Mask. What, you thought Meatwad and Carl made cameos for no reason at all?

For a 40 year-old company, Ralph Lauren's brand has had a hell of a decade. Its timeless American prep looks were as strong as ever, with Kanye popping his collar and the Rugby, Purple, and Black Labellines giving the brand new dimensions.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Sub-brand Polo Sport, a '90s favorite, was discontinued in 2005.

Say what you want about the numbers that the Wii does, but from March 2000 until the next generation dropped in late '06, gaming began and ended with the PS2. 100 million units sold in under six years? Sony was running our pockets for real. Even now, fighting against the next-gen behemoths, the PS3 consistently brings cutting-edge console exclusives (Little Big Planet, Uncharted 2) that make even Wii60 owners jealous.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
A handful of PS2 games are slated for release next year, giving the console more than 10 years of market viability. Suck it, Commodore 64!

Fuck a stereo, this decade was about having something you could plug your iPod into. Enter the Apple of home audio—the ease of use, uncompromising attention to quality and detail, and aesthetic consideration brought the Massachusetts company into the 2000s in a big way. What's that you say? Sorry, we can't hear you with these noise-canceling headphones on.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Bose's noise cancellation technology is used on the space shuttle to protect astronauts from hearing loss. Say whaaaaaa?

We all love rooting for the underdog, but sometimes you just have to respect the blood-sucking conglomerate giant. While Starbucks may not make connoisseur coffee, it's become the de facto global fix because it gives consumers what they want before they even know they want it—stuff like frothy crackalicious coffee shakes, instant-crack coffee packets, and crackish breakfast sandwiches. How can your little mom-and-pop compete with that? Get in line.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
The "Starbucks Coffee" logo is getting to be like the Golden Arches as that comforting sign of civilization on your travels; the coffeehouse now has over 16,000 locations in 49 countries.

Broke young people have always loved cheap beer, but in the 2000's ironic hipsters pinching the pennies in their trust funds revived PBR by latching onto the inexpensive suds associated with white trash. Williamsburg (and other outlying villages like it around the country) made it the unofficial drink of the indie rock, film, and art scenes. While occasionally annoying, the phenomenon allowed lots of us to smash hipster chicks with a one-dollar holler.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Pabst, which used to be called Best Select and later Pabst Select, got its name because blue ribbons were tied around the bottle necks from 1882 to 1916. We'll let you figure out why your lady's nickname is "Skeet Neck."

Eminem? 50 Cent? Black Eyed Peas? No Doubt? Lady Gaga? Selling out be damned, Jimmy Iovine and his crew rode high on the hog all damn decade long; at least until the bottom fell out of the music industry. Fuck it, your uncle will still cop him some Fergie next time he's at Target.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
The very first Interscope release was Gerardo, in 1991.

Video games are for kids! Who'd want to play something called Max Payne, or Bully, or Midnight Club, or Grand Theft Auto? No one but KIDS, that's who. What's that, you say? Those titles sold millions and millions of copies to grown-ass people, making Rockstar pivotal in console gaming's elevation to the canon of mainstream American entertainment? Well, I'll be damned!

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Rockstar was to be the publisher of Halo until Microsoft bought developer Bungie and made the game an in-house project.

In the '90s, adidas was the brand of choice for nostalgia-obsessed hip-hop purists, but not so much for the next-big-thing cool kids. Fast forward a few year and whaddya get? Shrewd collabs with everyone from CLOT to Neighborhood to Jeremy Scott to Yohji Yamamoto, some incredible ObyO projects, a brand-new exclusive deal with the NBA, and a brand-new lease on cool. If anyone's earned their stripes, it's them Dassler boys.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
By persuading Jesse Owens to wear their shoes in the 1936 Olympic Games, adidas became the first company to strike an endorsement deal with an African-American. Hang on to THAT one until February!

Nintendo started the Aughts by releasing the GameCube, which struggled to compete against the Sony PS2 and Microsoft Xbox. But when its monolith competitors re-upped with next-gen consoles in the middle of the decade, Nintendo reinvented itself with the Wii. Cheesy? Maybe, but still innovative as fuck. As with its DS handheld, Nintendo proved that its creativity could literally change the game.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
According to business analysts, Nintendo makes a profit of $92 per Wii sold. In contrast, Microsoft loses $126 per Xbox and Sony loses $300 per PS3. Comforting to know that both ends are getting the shaft when you buy a PS3.

Rubber? I hardly know her! If you were using condoms in the 2000s (and based on the rampant spread of herpes, who knows), chances are you were rolling with the Trojan Man (ayo!). The contraceptive company accounts for 70.5 percent of condoms purchased in U.S. drugstores. You might even say that Trojan is "sticking it" to Lifestyles, Durex, and the rest of them!

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Trojan manufactures 30 different kinds of condoms, including the Elexa line for women. Chicks with dicks?! No, moron, condoms marketed to women.

Liquor legend Sidney Frank created Grey Goose in 1997, betting that Americans would pay for quality, whether perceived or real, if backed by a good "story". He was right. As Jamie Foxx had everyone singing for the better part of 2009, "Goose" had heads "feelin' loose" throughout the Aughts. The most popular vodka of the decade.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Bacardi bought manufacturing rights to Grey Goose in 2005 for $2 billion in cash. Sidney Frank, who passed away in 2006, was reportedly have made a profit of 1.6 billion as a result of the transaction.

More than any of the NY graffiti writers, Brian Donnelly has been able to turn the KAWS mark into a ubiquitous (and desireable) brand. From clothing with Bape and Supreme to vinyl toys, album covers, and fine art, KAWS imagery has been a staple of the past ten years. You have a brand with power when people use your it in their eBay listings, just because they know it will be searched.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Before he was able to eat off of his work alone, KAWS worked on animated television for Disney. He contributed to 101 Dalmations, Doug, and Daria in the late 90s.

Sony gets the gas face for fumbling away console supremacy with the underwhelming PS3, but more credit belongs to Microsoft for making its Xbox 360 the de facto gaming machine of the next gen. How? Better games, better online interactivity, and actual useful features (e.g., Netflix streaming) that justify its price. Shit, we even got used to that big-ass controller.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Electronics warranty provider SquareTrade tested 1,040 Xbox 360s in February 2008 and found that one in six (16.4%) were defective. That figure seems low to us. Fuckin' red rings.

Marc Jacobs the man is the creative mind behind fashion in the Aughts. Marc Jacobs the brand is consistently name-checked and sought after by all. The introduction of Marc by Marc Jacobs gave us a little price cut, but it still hurts every time we check the credit card statement.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
In 1987 Jacobs was the youngest designer to have ever been awarded the fashion industry's highest tribute, The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Award for New Fashion Talent.

Vans was a surf and skate brand that saw solid numbers rolling in as the 2000s hit. It held true to its roots, and as sneaker culture headed its way, the California company responded with creative prints and intelligent collaborations, making it a real alternative to the Nike-dominated sneaker world. Vans holds it down in skate, surf, snow, and music, hosting a variety of events (Triple Crown, Warped Tour) and sponsoring key bands and athletes. In 2004 Vans was acquired by VF corp. (the company who also owns North Face, Jansport and Reef), and hasn't looked back since.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
This past year, Vans dropped a coffee table book that highlighted the history of the brand and the major highlights of the company since it was created in 1966.

The German carmaker has managed to maintain its rep as a non-conventional, "cool" luxury auto brand, all while steadily gaining ground on the "big three" of Benz, BMW, and Lexus. It celebrated its 100th year in 2009 with unprecedented sales numbers that validated Audi's exhaustive attention to innovative technology and design aesthetic. Kiss the rings.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
As of May 2009, Audi's market share of the U.S. auto industry was 8.1%.

Sure, other companies allow you to rent movies through the mail or watch them instantly for a flat fee with no due dates now, but Netflix achieved verb status by leading that rental revolution (have you ever said, "I have to Blockbuster that!"? Didn't think so.). We may never have another holier-than-thou Quentin Tarantino film geek who came up as a video store clerk looking down on us for renting From Justin to Kelly, but we think we can live with that.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Netflix has more than 55 million discs and has mailed over two billion DVDs to customers since the company started in 1997. People need to get out more often.

Air travel sucked, especially after 9/11. Most airlines cut flights, overcrowded planes, started charging for luggage, and generally made travelers' lives more difficult. And then there was Jet Blue, the little "budget airline" that made flying fun again. JB's many remedies included headrest TVs, pleasant flight attendants, and shrewdly flying into underserved airports (Long Beach and Burbank instead of LAX, Ft. Lauderdale instead of Miami) that made things much less aggravating. Other airlines are playing catch-up, but fuck 'em. We're sticking with the 'Blue.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
The airline was originally to be called Taxi, and planes were to be painted yellow, but the idea was dropped due to negative public image of NYC taxis. WHAT DA FUCK AH YOUSE FUCKAS TAWKIN ABOUT?!

Patron could be the only liquor to get name-checked harder than Grey Goose and Cristal in the Aughts. Tequila snots might even tell you that this isn't as good as some other brands on the market, but who cares? This tequila brand transformed the category and made itself the premium mark. Wonderful job. We'll have another, thanks.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
The Patron Spirits Company was started in 1989 by Paul Mitchell Systems co-founder John Paul DeJoria and entrepreneur Martin Crowley, not Paul Mitchell.

Movies, sports, and documentaries are cool, but what really set this premium cable channel apart from the competition was original programming. Must-see series like The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, and Entourage (and even a slept-on ones like The Wire) gave you all the realistic nudity, sex, drugs, and violence that network shows reliant on tight-ass advertisers never could. Like the slogan says, "It's not TV. It's HBO." It's also tits, bush, heroin, decapitations, and completely fuckin' awesome, but that took up too much space.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
HBO has over 38 million subscribers in the U.S. We'd let you know how many people are stealing cable to watch but our "Start Snitching" campaign has yet to really take off.

Not only has the brand served every MLB their fitteds, but later in the 2000s they started to collaborate with everything from cool guy brands to top-tier shops to famous people like Spike Lee. As long as people have heads, New Era will have their dome covered. *Pause*!

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
New Era is located in Buffallo, New York, and was founded in 1920.

When MySpace started to get too spam-y, and Facebook applications got downright annoying, Twitter stepped in and straight changed the social-networking game. Not only did the mass-conversation aspect connect people they've never met before, it's also become a source for breaking news, and a way for fans to interact with their favorite celebrities, all in 140 characters or less. Way too high on a list like this for something that just caught on a year or so ago? What other products do you, your mom, your boss, and CNN all use on a daily basis? FOH.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Follow Complex: @ComplexMag

In the later part of the decade in the Complex world of hype, fashion, product design, and music, there hasn't been a bigger trendsetter/walking product placement than Mr. Kanye West. Not only does he set trends (shutter shades, LV scarfs around the neck, etc., etc.) he was the first rapper to get his own Nike silo. Oh yeah, then he followed that up a month later with a multi-sneaker collection with Louis Vuitton that sold out before it hit shelves.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Kanye's Pastelle Clothing line was supposed to launch this year, but it was recently announced that it will never see the light of day.

The Worldwide Leader's third decade saw the network extend its utter dominance of the sporting world. Among its Aughts accomplishments were the acquisition of the rights to Monday Night Football, the NBA, and the English Premier League as well as dope original shows like Stump the Schwab and Pardon the Interruption. Oh, and ESPN.com became a cultural juggernaut with everyone from Hunter S. Thompson to Lil Wayne getting their blog on. We'll just pretend like Cold Pizzanever happened.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
ESPN broadcasts the WNBA, Little League baseball, poker, horse racing, and even the friggin' spelling bee, but no ice hockey. C'mon, Bristol. Save us from Versus, please.

Introduced in 1999 as a two way pager for suits, the Canadian-based company behind the BlackBerry brand has ballooned this ten-letter word into a full-fledged phenomena. The word has become synonymous with "smartphone". When President Obama refuses to part with his when entering The White House, you know you're doing something right.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
This year BlackBerry announced the number of BlackBerry users has reached 28.5 million, making it the second most popular smartphone platform in the world, surpassed only by Nokia.

This brand might've made the list on the strength of its titillating ads alone, but we'll save our real props for crazy-ass Dov Charney and the way he turned a little homegrown L.A. T-shirt company into the worldwide standard for style-forward basics. For better or worse, a peek inside an American Apparel outlet will give you a good idea of what the kids are wearing at any given moment.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
As part of its progressive labor practices, the company pays an average of $12 per hour to factory workers and offers them full benefits. Damn, they hiring?

Nigo's Japanese streetwear label took top billing at the height of the hype machine in the early 2000s, and remained consistent throughout the latter part of the decade. Known for repetitive printed hoodies, Baby Milo logo tees and being co-signed by your favorite rapper's favorite rapper, don't expect the Apes die off anytime soon.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Nigo made two lines for women called "APEE" and "BAPY".

Red Bull first became available in the United States right before the 2000s hit, and the brand has used the past 13 years or so to create and dominate the energy drink sector. They've taken over from Mountain Dew as the "extreme" sports drink, and is the "Q-tip" and "Kleenex" of getting hopped up on taurine.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
The two investors in Red bull each spent $500,000 of their own money on the company in the late eighties. In 2008, Forbes estimated each to be worth $4 billion.

In a world where critics are quick to label things "over-hyped", Supreme has been the exception. Each season the brand (which progressed out of the retail store) gets even the most jaded consumers excited with its new collections. Its infamous Barbara Kruger box logo has appeared on everyone from Dipset to Mike Tyson, Lou Reed and Kermit the Frog.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Supreme's latest lookbook features video vixen Rosa Acosta doing what she does best, stretching.

The OG of the social networks is the second biggest of the bunch despite all the popular newcomers. Launched in 2003, MySpace changed the way people connected with each other and pretty much dealt a death blow to musician demo tapes. It also taught digital entrepreneurs a valuable lesson: Cash out before its too late.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Facebook officially overtook MySpace in April 2008 as the largest social networking site.

As an aspirational brand, nothing is as ubiquitous or well known as the LV mark. It is a representation of luxury and quality. While many of the houses stayed tight and stodgy through the Auts, Louis Vuitton played the spectrum, collaborating with Murakami, Kanye West, and Stephen Sprouse while still keeping its high standards for excellence.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Louis Vuitton allocates about half of its communications budget to counteract piracy of its goods.

Ummm. Where do we start on this one? Limited Edition, Tier Zero, Nike SB, LeBron James, Nike Sportswear, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Dunks, Air Force 1s, Retros, Complete dominance... We can go on, but do we need to? Your favorite brand's favorite brand, Nike will destroy you before taking second place.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Each building at Nike headquarters is named for a legendary coach or athlete, including Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, Mia Hamm, Michael Jordan, Pete Sampras, Joan Benoit Samuelson, and John McEnroe.

With Steve Jobs back at the helm of the company he started in 1976, Apple started the decade off with the cornerstones of the newly focused business in place: The Apple Retail Store, the iMac, the iPod and Mac OS X. Those, along with wildly creative ads and the best designed computers ever, helped Apple double its market share and raise their products to fashion accessory level.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, he chose to make his salary $1.

What started as a search engine with a super clean interface has grown into a company whose services you use at least three times a day. Despite its epic, Microsoft like growth, Google has managed to keep a cool image. Maybe it's their culture of free that keeps their users (and us) smiling.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
In 2006 the term "Google" was added to the Oxford English Dictionary meaning, "to use the Google search engine to obtain information on the Internet."