Beyond the Grey: Why Brands Must Rethink Their Approach to Over-50s

Looking at advertising and brands currently, it would be easy to think we live in a world solely populated by people in their early 20s, and that the only people that bought anything were Gen Z. However, there is a large group that is overlooked, misrepresented and sick of being served ads for funerals and mobility aids.

The over-50s, the ‘Grey Pound’ or ‘Silver Spenders’ have a spending power of £320 million, and yet marketing and advertising seems intent on focusing their efforts on younger audiences. This seam of under-served potential needs brands and marketing that recognises their buying power, and the fact that there is a massive difference between a 55-year-old buyer and an 85-year-old buyer. By thinking beyond just the demographic, giving real space for true representation and understanding the nuances, we can start to do right by this interesting, complex, untapped audience.  

Society tends to treat older people as one homogenous group. Getting past the age of 50 suddenly renders you technologically incompetent, grouchy and culturally obscure. Although the cost-of-living crisis and rising inequality has reached all demographics in some way, as a society, we are aging better than ever.

There is more information and awareness around menopause, greater medical advancements and an interest in exercise and healthier lifestyles. This older demographic span those who are balancing the demands of children and aging parents, those entering retirement and considering their next steps and those who are settled, content and living life to the full. However, if you looked across media and advertising, you would see huge swathes of this demographic ignored, another part misrepresented, and another part lacking the reality that many older people face.  

Ignoring these people means industries and businesses across multiple sectors could be missing out on the incredible potential of this group. Research conducted by Saga in 2023 found that over 50s contributed £602 billion to the UK economy. Over 50s are also the fastest growing demographic in the UK, and according to the Centre for Aging Better, those over 50 are responsible for over half of all UK household spending. That’s a heck of a lot of buying power that is routinely missed or not considered across businesses.

Over 50s are also across multiple media channels. They are across social channels, use both linear TV and streaming services and are likely to be radio listeners. Yet representations of this demographic across media and advertising is limited or misrepresented. People tend to be lumped together so that the needs of both 55-year-olds and 85 years olds are considered the same.  

The ASA recently published research focused on the depiction of older people in ads. They found that over a third of UK adults believe that ads show those over 55 in a negative light. 44% also believe that older people are underrepresented in ads for the fashion, beauty, tech and household goods sectors. Older people are often portrayed as unable to understand technology, as grumpy and intolerant and often very wealthy. This myopic view of that over-55 continues to perpetuate the myth that once you hit a certain age, you aren’t worth understanding or bothering with. With little nuance or care, advertising continues to miss potential customers who could be spending with them.

The ASA also found that those over-55 are often targeted with ads focused on end-of-life services such as funeral and cremation services, care homes and life insurance. Whilst you might want to start thinking about your pension sooner rather than later, consistent targeting about death and the end is likely to make people feel as though brands believe that once you hit 50, it’s all downhill.  

Now, I’m sounding incredibly negative. There are some great examples of brands ensuring that older people are front and centre in their advertising. Loewe famously used Maggie Smith in their campaigns, Celine brought out Joan Didion for their sunglasses campaign. L’Oreal is committed to using a wide range of celebrity ambassadors that reflect a range of ages from Eva Longoria (50) to Helen Mirren (80).

We’ve seen more recent examples of brands using older people in their advertising that doesn’t make a virtue of their age. Yorkshire Tea’s advertising and Tesco’s ‘Food Love Stories’ have managed to use older people in a realistic and approachable way. Age doesn’t define the characters within these ads. They are treated as whole people with full lives, who just happen to have a few grey hairs. 

 

So, how can we make a real difference? We need to rethink our approach and represent in the right way. Below are a few tips and tricks that should help set us on the right path.  

1. Don’t rely on the stereotypes and think beyond the demographic. This goes for any audience we target or talk about, but especially for our older audiences. Not everyone aged 55 has the same political views, not every 75-year-old is enormously wealthy. There are lots of 85-year-olds who are scrolling Instagram and there are lots who have no desire to learn how to use a smartphone. Stereotypes aren’t helpful and they certainly don’t consider the nuances of this wide audience. 
2. Consider your casting and your design. When bringing people to life across design and advertising, are you considering a wide age group, or just sticking to younger audiences? If you have a product or service that can meet the needs of a wide audience, ensure that you include a diverse mix of people within your production or design. 
3. Building on the second tip, don’t make age the focus, and try to be realistic. Using older people in your advertising doesn’t make your brand suddenly out of touch with young people. Think about the wider cost to your business, when you don’t consider the potential of untapped audiences.  
4. The over 50s is a huge group. The difference in life stage between a 50-year-old and an 80-year-old is staggering, and yet if you looked across research and advertising, we don’t consider this. We wouldn’t lump 25- to 45-year-olds together, so we shouldn’t do it when people age. 
5. Finally, if in doubt, go talk to people. Be curious about understanding different life stages, understand what getting older means for many different people. Make sure you don’t just hang out with your own age group. Listen to people at family parties, try and understand how life experiences shape people’s views and outlooks.  

Don’t miss out on the buying power potential, branch out beyond the young, the new and the shiny. The grey pound might just be hidden gold.