Is This the Beginning of the End of Ageist Advertising?
Three’s a trend, they say, and in the past month three ads have emerged that portray seniors as regular human beings — not as cute grannies, aging teens or tech-averse stone-agers. The ads aren’t perfect — it’s going to take America a while to become post-ageist — but whether they signal the slow start of a new era or are just a temporary drop in the bucket, they’re worth a look.
Portal
Portal is a new broadband router designed for urban environments where too many people living in close proximity are competing for internet bandwidth. To get the point across, the company’s commercial features the inhabitants of four apartments: a family, a yuppie couple, a bunch of flatmates and an older woman — who, it turns out, is the early adopter who’s having a ball with the latest technology. Even better: No OMG expressions on the youngers’ faces when they discover that their elder has the answer (hey, why be surprised?). Too bad everyone has a real name except “Grandma.”
Dashun Wang
“Some people call me ‘the hottest grandpa’. Some also said that I’m an instant internet sensation. But do you know what? To prepare for this day, I’ve been getting ready for 60 years.” That’s Deshun Wang telling his story in what appears to be an ad for himself. It’s a “never too late” story with heart: As he tells it, Wang’s late-life back-from-the brink story could inspire even those of us who feel like we’ve made a mess of our lives. “Believe me,” he says, “potential can be explored when you think it’s too late.” After moving to Beijing in his 40s and becoming a penniless drifter, Wang’s big turnaround came in his 70s, and at 79 he modeled on a catwalk for the first time.
Dove Chocolate
She starts the day as a little girl and ends it as an older woman — gray, a little wrinkled and smiling in the mirror. Along the way, to the sound of Edith Piaf’s “Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien,” we see a free-spirited person holding her own in a relatively unconventional female narrative. Yes, she’s charming the guys, but as AdWeek says in a piece about the commercial, “Our protagonist artfully bypasses the benchmarks of an established life. You don’t see professional successes. There is no love story, no man guiding her footsteps. Her weight doesn’t seem to be a primary concern, and she will not be surrounded by grandchildren.” Hallelujah.
What’s good and not-so-good about these ads? Comments, please!
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Comments
Someone please supply the name of the grey-haired woman in the Dove Chocolate commercial with Edith Piaf soundtrack.
I think it’s Cindy Joseph.
I hate seeing wrinkled old people in ads. I can look in the mirror and see that!
I love this ad. While I see nothing insulting about showing a senior woman surrounded with grandchildren, the truth is that not every older person is a grandparent, and you are not necessarily defined by that. It is a reflection of a life passionately lived. Wistful about her youth perhaps, but not despairing. This is my favorite of all the senior ads, and one of my favorite ads period.
Who is the gray haired lady in the dove candy commercial?
I would like to know myself ???
Wang Deshun is fabulous. And Grandma. Now all we need is a few who are not so clearly within the norms for weight…but who gets everything? Fat prejudice is the last to go.
These ads are fabulous! Yes, next time, please give a name to the grandmother. Love the Dove ad and how this girl grows into a free spirited teen, young woman and beyond and is not consumed by fashion, men, or children. Kudos to all on the ad team!