Every Friday throughout Christmas Umbrella Marketing Team are being visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past. We’re taking a nostalgic, festive trip down memory lane to reminisce over our favourite toys, festive films, Christmas No.1’s and the big news stories. Today we go all the way back to 1985; a year that saw Everton win the European Cup Winner’s Cup, Thundercats hit the screens and a pint would set you back a whopping 80p.
First up, what were we all asking for for Christmas in 1985?
1985 was a big year for the Care Bear as the toys coincided with the release of their first film. They came in a variety of colours, each with a different badge on their chest that represented a particular duty. The RRP in 1985 was approximately £8 (today’s value £16) and remember there was about 10 to collect!
What was on at the pictures, Christmas 1985?
Santa Claus. Featuring Dudley Moore and John Lithgow, a peasant woodcutter becomes Santa Claus and later foils an evil toy manufacturer’s scheme to take over Christmas. Also released in December 1985 was Steven Spielberg’s American period drama film ‘The Colour Purple’, based on the novel by Alice Walker. In a stark contrast to the festive fun of ‘Santa Claus’, the film highlights the issues facing African American women during the 1900’s including racism, sexism and poverty.
The world of business in 1985
In 1985 we were using floppy disks, for anyone lucky enough not to remember them they were big, square (temperamental) memory sticks! You couldn’t bend them, bash them or get any first anywhere near them.
We also first started using mobile phones; aka ‘the brick’. This was back in a much simpler time, when mobile phones were only used to make phone calls.. (yes, really!) Mobile phones didn’t even play music.. but that’s OK because we were all listening to Walkmans…
1985 was a memorable year for Coca Cola too. They made a bold move and changed the much loved recipe. Unfortunately, it came with a backlash and less than three months after New Coke’s introduction, they were forced to announce that they would be bringing back the original formula. They did and it was named Coke Classic. Ironically (and arguably very cleverly) the reintroduction of their original recipe significantly spiked sales and they recaptured the market lead from Pepsi.
Finally, what we’ve all been waiting for – Christmas No.1!
Join us next week when the Ghost of Christmas Past takes us back to 1995….
Images: Dymka via Mixcloud; eBay; TriStar Pictures
