The inflatable phone was a novelty product developed with the same inflatable factory we had used for our range of giant inflatable wigs and dress-up kits. With obvious connections to Trigger Happy TV, the inflatable phone was based on the original mobile phones of the 1980s that were huge in comparison to modern smart phones.

Creating a square inflatable proved to be quite difficult and it was necessary to add internal structure to stop the flat panels from curving and becoming convex. I helped work with the factory and the Bluw design team to achieve the best compromise of shape versus added cost of material and production. In the end, the panel with the screen printed key panel graphics was double layered, with the welded seem lines on the internal layer.

The packaging used the original 80s Retro styling form the range of key rings and stress balls launched the year before. It made the front panel quite visually busy, but the bright background was eye-catching in-store.

The model used on the packaging was a stock photo. The arm on the right, holding the phone, is actually mine - only because I was the only member of the design team with enough arm hair (and of the correct colour) to match the model's other arm.