Longlife UHT milk carton, empty, advertising a competition to win ‘two Millennium bugs’, which stand for two VW Beetle cars, by Safeway (UK), United Kingdom, 1999

This milk carton advertises a competition to win ‘two Millennium bugs’ aka two VW Beetle cars. Safeway’s choice of name jokingly hints at the ‘Millennium Bug’ or ‘Y2K problem’, which was the name given to a group of potential consequences identified with internal computer clocks changing from the year 1999 to the year 2000. Until the 1990s, years in computer programs were shortened to two digits. It was feared that the abbreviation ‘00’ would not be read as 2000 but 1900, which would create chaos and disruption around the world. In the end, the problem had some small impacts but did not live up to the high levels of hype in pre-millennium media speculation.

Many companies at the time chose to turn the Millennium Bug and the climate of fear it produced into an opportunity to make profit. While some used it to sell products directly linked to the potential consequences of the Millennium Bug, the Safeway milk carton shows how the phenomenon provided an opportunity to market all kinds of goods. Compared to other Millennium Bug ephemera, such as chocolates or bug toys, it illustrates just how far the awareness had spread. The bug was not only reflected in specific souvenirs but had advanced to supermarkets and every-day objects, unmissable for everyone.