History calls: Phone booths made for storytelling

New York – To promote its NYC 1993 exhibit, the New Museum has enlisted one of today’s most neglected, but still ubiquitous, pieces of urban infrastructure: the phone booth.

Created by New York advertising agency Droga5, the Recalling 1993 project is a collection of urban tales from 20 years ago, accessible only by dialling 1-855-FOR-1993 from any phone booth in Manhattan. The stories are tailored to the specific local area, so listeners hoping to hear a selection of stories must physically cross the city.

At a time when information is almost universally available at the click of a button, the idea of having to travel for it is both anachronistic and exotic.

In a recent study by JWT Intelligence, 67% of Millennials, aged 18–35, agreed with the following statement: ‘I have a greater appreciation for things that don’t get used as much as they used to, like record players or film cameras.’ This was the most of any age group, more than Baby Boomers (56%) or Silents (49%).

Read our Digi-tactile microtrend for more on nostalgia for the physical.