Brands increase purchase intent up to 200% using mature age models
“The average woman is so beaten down and indoctrinated, and besieged. Everywhere she looks, there are pictures of sweet young things, 12-and-a-half, wearing these gorgeous clothes and all this makeup. Now, how can you possibly look like that?” – Iris Apfel, 93
Our population is ageing and with age comes buying power. The Baby Boomers comprise 25% of Australia’s population, yet control 55% of the country’s private wealth
Australia is not alone in its ageing population. Globally, over 60s are the fastest growing group of consumers in the world. In 2000, the 60-plus population globally was 600 million; by 2010, it had swelled to 800 million, and by 2050 it is expected to hit 2 billion.
To talk to this consumer, imagery and model choice is important - women over the age of 35 have been shown to increase purchase intent by up to 200 percent when they see models in advertising who reflected their age.**
Luxury retailers have moved quickly on this insight, making decisive moves to target a growing audience with deep pockets.
French fashion house Céline’s spring 2015 campaign became one of last year’s most talked about, spreading like wildfire on social media before hitting the pages of the The New York Times, Forbes and The Atlantic. The buzz was around the face of the campaign, 80 year old, Joan Didion.
The same week, Saint Laurent featured 71 year old songstress Joni Mitchell, while Kate Spade ran their campaign featuring New York interiors maven and Advanced Style icon Iris Apfel who is since popping up in everything from car ads to smart accessories.
So are brands finally accepting—even embracing—women of a certain age?
We say, yes. Despite cynics who see older brand ambassadors as brands cashing in on short-term PR benefit, the smart money is on the trend being here to stay.
The trend has now hit the high street with silverfoxes including 62-year-old Jacky O’Shaughnessy, causing a stir when she appeared in an American Apparel lingerie campaign while Yazemeenah Rossi helped redefine swimwear in that white swimsuit by The Dreslyn and Land of Women.
Beauty Powerhouse L'Oréal signed Twiggy as brand ambassador, joining Helen Mirren and Jane Fonda. CEO Jean-Paul Agon sees mature women as "a new and gigantic opportunity for our company," according to a 2014 interview in the Financial Times.
"I think that this trend is going to get bigger, I really do," says Darroch. "If women maintain the career choices that they are training for… then they will become even more economically important as they get older. And that will make companies pay attention."
Talk to us about booking mature aged models for your next campaign - send us your brief at [email protected]
* http://mccrindle.com.au/ResearchSummaries/Australia-in-2020-A-Snapshot-of-the-Future.pdf
**Ben Barry in Elle Canada, “Can using different types of models benefit brands?” http://www.ellecanada.com/culture/article/can-using-different-types-of-models-benefit-brands
Our population is ageing and with age comes buying power. The Baby Boomers comprise 25% of Australia’s population, yet control 55% of the country’s private wealth
Australia is not alone in its ageing population. Globally, over 60s are the fastest growing group of consumers in the world. In 2000, the 60-plus population globally was 600 million; by 2010, it had swelled to 800 million, and by 2050 it is expected to hit 2 billion.
To talk to this consumer, imagery and model choice is important - women over the age of 35 have been shown to increase purchase intent by up to 200 percent when they see models in advertising who reflected their age.**
Luxury retailers have moved quickly on this insight, making decisive moves to target a growing audience with deep pockets.
French fashion house Céline’s spring 2015 campaign became one of last year’s most talked about, spreading like wildfire on social media before hitting the pages of the The New York Times, Forbes and The Atlantic. The buzz was around the face of the campaign, 80 year old, Joan Didion.
The same week, Saint Laurent featured 71 year old songstress Joni Mitchell, while Kate Spade ran their campaign featuring New York interiors maven and Advanced Style icon Iris Apfel who is since popping up in everything from car ads to smart accessories.
So are brands finally accepting—even embracing—women of a certain age?
We say, yes. Despite cynics who see older brand ambassadors as brands cashing in on short-term PR benefit, the smart money is on the trend being here to stay.
The trend has now hit the high street with silverfoxes including 62-year-old Jacky O’Shaughnessy, causing a stir when she appeared in an American Apparel lingerie campaign while Yazemeenah Rossi helped redefine swimwear in that white swimsuit by The Dreslyn and Land of Women.
Beauty Powerhouse L'Oréal signed Twiggy as brand ambassador, joining Helen Mirren and Jane Fonda. CEO Jean-Paul Agon sees mature women as "a new and gigantic opportunity for our company," according to a 2014 interview in the Financial Times.
"I think that this trend is going to get bigger, I really do," says Darroch. "If women maintain the career choices that they are training for… then they will become even more economically important as they get older. And that will make companies pay attention."
Talk to us about booking mature aged models for your next campaign - send us your brief at [email protected]
* http://mccrindle.com.au/ResearchSummaries/Australia-in-2020-A-Snapshot-of-the-Future.pdf
**Ben Barry in Elle Canada, “Can using different types of models benefit brands?” http://www.ellecanada.com/culture/article/can-using-different-types-of-models-benefit-brands