Commodore's Callback 8020 flip phone backlash: Why controversy proves the brand's strategy is working

One minute Commodore was the great retro comeback story, the brand that had somehow crawled out of the cupboard with the old joysticks, yellowed manuals and cables nobody dares throw away.

The next minute it was standing in the middle of the internet holding a flip phone, while half the crowd shouted betrayal and the other half checked whether the date was April 1st.

Too weird. Too unexpected. Too un-Commodore. Too much like a gadget from a market stall in a timeline where the Nokia 3310 became kingpin.

But first reactions are not always good analysis.