From supermodel to stairlift

Mid-life has long been regarded as a phase of uncertainty. Yet the insights into the depths of the human psyche revealed by our Screenforce study paint a different picture: people aged 50 and over today do not feel they have ‘too much behind them’, but rather that ‘now more than ever’!

This reveals a major gap, particularly for the advertising industry. For whilst people aged between 50 and 69 see themselves as active, curious and in the prime of life, they are often reduced in communications to their shortcomings, healthcare needs or withdrawal from society.

“We have no visual references for the demographic between supermodel and stairlift,” explains Ines Imdahl convincingly in the podcast. This imbalance is no coincidence, but structurally driven. Campaigns are usually developed by significantly younger teams, whose own perceptions of ageing are incorporated into the communication. This creates a distorted external image that has little in common with the reality of life.

In doing so, one of the economically strongest and most discerning target groups is being underestimated. People aged 50+ are keen consumers, quality-oriented and open to new things, driven by a mature inner confidence. Yet addressing this important target group correctly is crucial. To generate growth, advertisers must recognise people aged 50 and over in all their facets.

The ‘Midlife High’ describes a sense of being ‘right in the thick of it’: being able to draw on the wealth of experience already accumulated whilst simultaneously shaping an attractive vision of the future, free from social pressure and the feeling of having to chase after things.

You can hear more about this target group, which has so far been viewed in such undifferentiated terms, here in the full episode of the podcast “Huber & Seiler – Die Sache mit dem Älterwerden”.