In previous blogs, we have already dismissed such phrases as “she looks great for her age”, “still going strong” and “golden” from the marketer’s lexicon. Following an excellent webinar by Kurt Medina of Medina Associates, sponsored by IMMN , I am inspired to add graphic no no’s to the expanding list.
"For the rest of today's blog, continue at The Boomer Blog"
For starters, I am not in love with the new WaMu ad in which a paunchy, balding man is so liberated by the notion of free checking that he spontaneously grows long, lush hair while driving a dreamy convertible. How I would summarize this on the list of no no’s:
1. No older people fantasizing about looking younger (esp. if at the end, the punch line is that they’re paunchy and bald again.)
Here’s some more, from Kurt’s collection:
2. Anything with a setting sun. Kurt reminds us that even if the grey-haired couple is holding hands on the beach, and the setting is otherwise idyllic, they are still metaphorically witnessing the remaining days of their lives fading away.
3. Goofy cartoons of older men and women looking tacky and dumpy (thinking stereotypical Miami) in mu mu’s and oversized sunglasses
4. We already know to avoid type too small to read—but also on the no no list: Type so large it’s pandering
5. Couples in which the man is 15 years or more older than their female partner
Kurt also provides his perspective on the age-old question: how old should the boomer/senior model be? He notes that rule of thumb has traditionally been to show someone about ten years older than the target consumer. When it comes to fashion and cosmetics, Kurt says okay. But for just about everything else, the key is not to show someone at a younger age, but to show people at any age being fully, vibrantly alive.
Carol Orsborn