Retro-Monday: 1989 Car Phone & Cell Phone TV Ad

YouTube video courtesy of gmancine

Credit to Digg on this YouTube video gem.

There are two mobile phone types in this 1989 commercial. One no longer exists: The car phone. If you watch near the end of the add, you’ll see the guy talking on a phone with a telephone cord coil dropping down. This is a car phone which was usually installed in the car (like a car stereo) and powered by the car’s electrical system. The giant phone the woman and child use is an example of what those of us who remember it call a brick. Why? Well, take a look at it. You could do some physical damage with those old cell phones.

Back in 1989, portable cell phones like the one seen here could cost well upward of $1000 with little or no included minutes. And, local cell minutes were between 50 and 75 cents each. I remember my first cell phone in the mid-1990s only came with 20 free minutes per month.

From time to time I’ll dig through my personal collection of ancient mobile gadgets or items I find via the web for your amusement. If you have some personal favorite mobile memories you want to share, please let me know and perhaps we’ll feature it in a Retro-Monday item. I’m planning to make Retro-Monday a semi-regular feature here.

Join Baratunde Thurston (left), The Onion’s Director of Digital and author of How to Be Black, for an entertaining look at creative social media campaigns in our Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting February 16. Other speakers include Morin Oluwole (Facebook), Tim Devane (bitly), and SocialTimes' writer Devon Glenn.   Register now.