Uploaded September 2011 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
Christopher Lloyd plays a taxi driver with free advice on how to save money on 20 minute phone calls to your friends. This ad played on Christopher Lloyd's association with the TV show Taxi where he played Reverend Jim Ignatowski.
Long distance was big business in the 80s and 90s, with the battle lines drawn first by trying to get people to switch carriers, then by offering "dial around" (10-10-) services for cheap calls and finally by offering 1-800 access and other 10-10- services targeting specific portions of the market. 1-800-COLLECT hit gold and then collect calling became a major focus of advertising, even though collect calling had been a rarity and near curiosity for most customers.
The long distance industry had been a huge source of ad revenue for TV stations right up there with beer companies but shortly after this, all the angles had been played out and long distance became a low margin industry with little money or reason to advertise. Big long distance finally succumbed to nationwide free long distance (and free roaming) plans on cell phones starting with Sprint PCS' service in 1995.
Far from a big business, long distance is now a cheap or free service thrown in as a kicker to all-in-one voice plans.
This spot aired during A&E's "The Story of the Gun" part 1, Saturday February 13th, 1999
Christopher Lloyd plays a taxi driver with free advice on how to save money on 20 minute phone calls to your friends. This ad played on Christopher Lloyd's association with the TV show Taxi where he played Reverend Jim Ignatowski.
Long distance was big business in the 80s and 90s, with the battle lines drawn first by trying to get people to switch carriers, then by offering "dial around" (10-10-) services for cheap calls and finally by offering 1-800 access and other 10-10- services targeting specific portions of the market. 1-800-COLLECT hit gold and then collect calling became a major focus of advertising, even though collect calling had been a rarity and near curiosity for most customers.
The long distance industry had been a huge source of ad revenue for TV stations right up there with beer companies but shortly after this, all the angles had been played out and long distance became a low margin industry with little money or reason to advertise. Big long distance finally succumbed to nationwide free long distance (and free roaming) plans on cell phones starting with Sprint PCS' service in 1995.
Far from a big business, long distance is now a cheap or free service thrown in as a kicker to all-in-one voice plans.
This spot aired during A&E's "The Story of the Gun" part 1, Saturday February 13th, 1999
