While people over 50 are a growing portion of the population, advertisers have yet to align with these changing demographics. Older people rarely appear in advertising campaigns. When they do, the images have little variety or vitality; they often depict older people with caregivers, or in a medical setting.
The lack of representation is particularly noticeable for women. Few beauty and fashion campaigns feature older models. When older women do appear, there is often an emphasis on making them look younger. These tired clichés can alienate and discourage older consumers, who want—and deserve—more varied and accurate representation.
The Intersection of Ageism and Sexism in Advertising
The stereotypical depiction of older women in advertising has all the hallmarks of gendered ageism. This term describes the ageism and sexism that older women often face in our society, including the biases against them in advertising.
Gendered ageism means that positive depictions of older people are more likely to feature men. For example, many advertisements stereotype older people as technologically illiterate. If an ad shows an older person with technological competency, that individual is more likely to be male.
Gendered ageism is also the reason our society punishes women more severely for displaying visible signs of aging. In movies and television, it’s not unusual for older male leads to be paired with female love interests 15 to 20 years their junior—which suggests that the women their own age are inherently less attractive. Older women also have much fewer opportunities for starring roles. Women in media and other industries also tend to face ageism earlier than men.
Products and advertising geared toward women of all ages often tout anti-aging benefits. Some industry experts believe this messaging is tied to the patriarchal norms in our culture that value women primarily on their youth and appearance.
Gendered ageism creates both negative and positive stereotypes of older women. Negative stereotypes broadly suggest that older women always share the same traits and experiences, such as loneliness, irritability, or vulnerability. Despite all the advances in women’s rights over the past century, unmarried older women are still often seen as objects of pity or contempt.
On the flipside, positive stereotypes of older women as loving parents and grandparents are also present in advertising. However, when positive depictions of older women are limited to these roles, the resulting picture is incomplete.
A lack of proper representation in advertising feeds into stigmas and perpetuates the fear of aging within our society. This can lead to tangible negative outcomes for older women, including fewer work opportunities. Older women may internalize these attitudes, which can leave them feeling sad, ashamed, and as though they don’t have any value anymore, simply because of their age.
The Importance of Combating Agism and Sexism in Advertising
Aging affects everyone who is lucky enough to have a long life. Offering truthful and positive representations of older adults, especially women, has universal benefits.
Accurate depictions of older women in advertising and media can spark more discussion about solutions for age-related concerns, such as menopause and how it affects emotional and sexual health. Breaking the taboos surrounding aging can strengthen the power of older female consumers as well.
Showcasing older people in a wider range of roles can loosen the grip of pervasive negative stereotypes, including the idea that aging necessarily means losing vitality. More realistic depictions of aging can reduce stigma and increase opportunities for older individuals, especially women.
Representation can also shape how people experience reality. For example, advertising and media depictions can affect how people from a specific demographic perceive themselves. When images of older women tie positive outcomes to aging, it can help improve their attitudes toward growing older.
In addition, it’s important to note that both the U.S. and global population are aging. In 2040, 20% of Americans will be at least 65 years old, compared to about 12.5% of Americans in 2000. Noting the growing influence of older people on consumer trends, many brands have taken steps to actively counter gendered ageism in their advertising.
For example, the hair care brand Pantene launched a new line of products to enhance naturally grey hair. The marketing campaign, titled the Power of Grey, featured models of all ages showing off their grey locks. Pantene also created a specialized formula to address age-related changes to hair’s appearance and composition. Both the campaigns and product launches were a success. This is just one example of a company catering to the concerns of older consumers—and not via products designed to capitalize on fears of aging.
How to Combat Agism and Sexism in Advertising
Fighting gendered ageism requires action from brands and consumers. Raising awareness of the issues is important, as many people do not realize the harm of stereotypes.
Some celebrities are using their platforms to share their experiences with gendered ageism. For example, supermodel Paulina Porizkova has been vocal on social media and in other outlets about how ageism affected her career. Other celebrities who have talked about the topic publicly include musician Bebe Rexha and model Heidi Klum.
Since companies usually respond to the demands of their target audiences, consumers who want more diverse and accurate representation of older adults should voice their opinion. Market research has noted that younger generations prefer brands that purposefully include a wider demographic of people in their advertising.
Brands can challenge the status quo by moving away from overused tropes in advertising. Envisioning more roles for women over 50 and featuring them in a variety of settings and situations can help expand our culture’s ideas about what it means to grow older.
Companies can also check the language they use around aging. Advertisers should not assume that their audience fears aging, or that older women always want to look younger. In addition, copywriters should use age-inclusive language—they should avoid terms like “the elderly” and “aged” in favor of more neutral descriptions of older adults that do not “other” them.
Our culture’s negative stereotypes of older women are pervasive and persistent, but slowly, we can chip away at them. We can create a better future where women of all ages see themselves in media, and where aging is seen as a blessing to embrace, not a curse to be feared.