Older People in Advertising

Despite the increasing market size and consumption power of older consumers, older people seldom appear in advertising, and research activity in this area suggests that advertising scholars have lost interest in the topic. This article proposes some explanations for this neglect of the topic despite its increasing importance and provides a review of knowledge about the representation, portrayal, and effects of older people in advertising. Based on this review, the article identifies several gaps in the literature and proposes an integrative model and agenda for future research. The agenda addresses the definition and operationalization of age and older people and discusses how their representation and portrayal must be evaluated against appropriate baseline figures; how stereotyping can be assessed and measured; how positive perceptions and evaluations of portrayals of older people, despite weak representation and stereotyping, can be explained; and how social and commercial effects can be investigated. The agenda discusses the potential responsibilities of advertisers and the implications of this research for practitioners and public policy.