Stereotypes in Advertising

After diving into result after result of internet searched for advertisements aimed specifically at or for older people, I came to a stern realization; that was that there are very few of them directed specifically at older adults. But, I found a few magazine and television advertisements that really spoke volumes about the notion of aging. Some of these advertisements viewed again positively, showing that even at older ages people can be active and viewed quite popularly by public media. Unfortunately, other advertisements played on the negative stereotypes of aging and older adults specifically with the notion that as you age you are unable to fully take care of yourself.

The first advertisement I found was from the AARP, showing a silver haired woman in a red gown. The tagline on the advertisement said "To most marketers, consumers die the minute they turn 50." This statement pointed out the fact that older people aren’t getting the advertisements they deserve, which I was interesting since this was the exact conclusion I had come to mere moments before finding this picture. This advertisement (if you could call it that) could be extrapolated to show the stereotypes that older people don’t need to be advertised to because they are not a profitable population any more. It could be getting at a commonly held belief that as one ages, they become more and more predictable and less accepting of change. Therefore, they are less likely to buy a new or different product, and thus advertisers shouldn’t even try. Presently, the commercials and ads seem to all be pointed at 18 to 25 year olds who only care about sexy people, beer, and sports, an interesting phenomenon which was easily visible in my search.

The next advertisement I f...

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... I found was for what seems to be a nursing home. It shows four older adults next to a list of amenities of the nursing home under the caption “Squeeze more out of Life.” I feel like this advertisement is an example of two different stereotypes. The first is about the issue of death. The term “squeeze” makes it sound as if they are fighting to get more, as opposed to just living happily. This is could be an example of the stereotype that older adults need to always be concerned about when life will end, and how they should always be fighting to ‘squeeze that much more out of life.’ Furthermore, just like the two previous advertisements, nursing homes are a prime example of the stereotype that as you age you will need someone else to take care of you. This is saying that as you get older it is better to lose your autonomy and be in a home versus living unassisted.