Advertisers are right to cash in on the retirees

IBELIEVE there’s a big change happening in the world of advertising. The industry has realised not all shoppers are young and beautiful. Over the years things have changed. Medical care has improved, diets have developed and people are living healthier lives than they did 50 years ago. In some countries there are now more retired folk than there are wage earners. Add to this the fact that more people than ever before have subscribed to pension funds and have cleared debts and mortgages, and you can see what’s happened.

It’s the silver-haired set that’s having the fun now – and spending the money.

I was made sharply aware of this here in England when I bought a packet of potato chips for a picnic and studied the printing on the bag. It showed a smiling, wrinkled lady with grey hair, clutching a large round of cheese and announcing that it contained cheddar cheese- flavoured chips.

Since then I’ve been noticing how much of the advertising is aimed at retirees.

Somebody coined the word “oldvertising” and I think it fits.

For many years the models who posed for advertisements for clothing, cosmetics, shampoo, holidays and cars have been attractive young and obviously fit men and women in their twenties or thirties.

In the real world that’s usually a pretty tough time as far as income is concerned. Mortgage payments are starting, kids are being born, a bigger car becomes necessary to transport the growing family and life is generally tough financially.

By the time those glamorous models reach their sixties, their kids have grown up and left home, the mortgage has been paid off, it’s no longer necessary to drive a big car or wear smart clothes for work. It may even make sense to sell the family home and rent a smaller place Where the maintenance is someone else’s problem.

These people (sometimes called perennials) now have the spare money to spend on themselves and the leisure time to enjoy it. I see more and more advertisers aiming their messages at the silver set. They (may I say just a little smugly, we) are the ones having the fun now.

And the most fun of all is no longer having to impress anybody or bother what anyone thinks.

I can dress like a hobo (and often do) and drink cheap wine (and always do) and not get out of bed until teatime (unless my cats demand early breakfast).

And the advertisers are now trying to sell me world cruises, fancy watches, overpriced whisky and luxury cars and I’m not even tempted.

Last Laugh

Two grey-haired friends were chatting over tea and the one said: “I decided to go to an aerobics class yesterday.” “Oh?” said her friend, “How did it go?” “Well, I bent and twisted and wriggled and stretched, but it didn’t do much good. By the time I finally got my leotard on, the class was over.”