‘The biggest music news ever’, ‘The announcement that broke the internet’, ‘Lost for words’, ‘Time to sell the house’……were just some of the millions of comments that flooded social media on the announcement that Oasis would be reforming for a series of one-off gigs in summer 2025.
That the Gallagher brothers (both in their 50’s) can command such attention speaks volumes about the enduring power of the cultural currency they generated two decades ago, when their gigs, album releases, rows with Blur and then themselves filled the media every day.
But it also shows the enduring power of the over 50’s audience to shape cultural moments, to be central to the conversation and to demonstrate their economic strength….factors often overlooked by marketing comms.
As a member of this cohort of older consumers, I rarely feel represented by marketing campaigns I see almost everyday and I am not the exception. Recent research* shows that 90% of over 50’s couldn’t name a single brand that recently featured anyone their age and those of us that do, feel misrepresented by lazy stereotypes depicting us as either happily retired or in need of some form of care or assistance.
And yet, here we are ‘breaking the internet’ and shaping culture, with often (but not always) better disposable incomes than other generations and a want and a need to contribute to the economy, work place and culture for decades to come. So why do we feel so underserviced by the creative work?
This was a topic analysed in detail at the recent Silver Marketing Summit. Keynote speaker Michael Clinton opened the day with his insight around ‘You can’t be it if you can’t see it’. Accurate, authentic representation matters for everyone but too often, older audiences are expected to fit into the one size fits all style of marketing. Show us the same nuance, diversity and understanding in creative campaigns that younger cohorts so rightfully receive.
Attention was also a hot topic at the Silver Marketing Summit, as it has been at marketing conferences all year. The challenge of gaining the attention of older cohorts in such a fragmented world are just as challenging as they are for younger cohorts. We use social media, watch less linear TV, go to live events (see Oasis), buy online, holiday all over the place and often, hang out in niche interest communities, have side hustles, buy vintage clothes and take pictures of them for our feeds. We are active and passionate but most of the marketing comms we see directed at us is passive and patronising.
We are shaping commerce, culture and communities so treat us with the respect we deserve. Tell our stories with the creativity and respect they deserve.
And finally, language was a keenly debated topic at the Summit. Scrutiny of the language we use to target older audiences – sliver/senior/pensioner/third quarter lifer – is increasingly coming under scrutiny. ‘Retirement’, ‘anti-aging’ and ‘OAP’s’ could become relics of our past as we look to understand and reflect the different life styles and life stages of this audience.
The Oasis gigs next year could be a huge opportunity for brands looking to target older cohorts, for what is likely to be the centrepiece of culture next Summer. Isn’t it time we all got on the over 50’s band wagon and brand wagon?
*Anything But Grey research 2023