Power Lunch

Power Lunch

Seriously, 007? A pay phone??

A pedestrian reads a paper near a James Bond Spectre 007 movie poster in New York.
Kerima Green | CNBC

Spectre's release is drawing near. 

The 24th James Bond film hits worldwide theaters on November 6th. It is Daniel Craig's fourth outing as 007, and director Sam Mendes' second time in the director's chair. 

The film cost an estimated $300 million, easily the most expensive price tag of any Bond movie. 

How could one film cost so much? Perhaps it was due in part to the $34 million worth of cars destroyed during the production, including seven Aston Martin DB10 models. Or, maybe it was the non-computer graphic image stunts performed atop the Alps. 

One thing is for certain: the bulk of the cost did not stem from some of the rather primitive advertising campaigns spotted in and around the streets of Manhattan, like one print ad CNBC spotted posted on the side of a pay telephone kiosk.

Wait. What?? Rewind!

Yes, there are still 9,000 "public communication structures," or pay phones, still in existence in the New York metropolitan area, down from 35,000 a decade ago. 

The proliferation of smartphones means many of those public phones go unused, yet many are ad-supported, with the city collecting an estimated $16 million in fees last year. 

Just call me, on a pay phone, Bond. James Bond. 

CNBC"s Jennet Chin contributed to this article