Older People Are Ignored and Distorted in Ageist Marketing, Report Finds

A study from AARP presented at the Advertising Week conference found advertisers tend to ignore or caricature older consumers, adding to ageism and perpetuation of stereotypes, reports the New York Times . The study was based on a random sample of 1,116 images published or posted by popular brands and organizations. Over 33 percent of the American population is older than 50, but this demographic was represented in only 15 percent of the media images. Furthermore, just 13 percent of the images showed older people working, even though the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that persons older than 50 constitute 33 percent of the American workforce. Meanwhile, the Pew Research Center determined 69 percent of people between 55 and 73 own a smartphone, yet less than 5 percent of the images featured older adults using technology. AARP's Martha Boudreau cited recent ads depicting older adults as selfish and out of touch. AARP is pressuring ad agencies and their clients to update their portrayals of aging, and has partnered with Getty Images to roll out a collection of 1,400 images showing older people running businesses, playing sports, and engaging with younger generations. Ad professionals often blame the marketing distortion of older generations on endemic ageism in their own offices.