UK watchdog criticises ‘offensive’ portrayal of older people in adverts

The UK’s Ads Control Authority has released a strong reprimand for brands that continue to rely on the outdated and blow stereotypes of the elderly, and warned that many images are offensive and a failure to reflect the reality of aging in modern society.

In a report published today, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has identified many prominent ads to photograph the elderly as angry, technologically incomplete, alone or exhausting, and said that the industry should do more to reflect the diversity and vitality of ancient life.

A TV advertisement that was cited in the report shows, for Scotland-based Strathmore Foods, an elderly man who interacted angrily with football hit his car before emptying the ball and eating a microwave meal alone-an advertisement that ASA described as reinforcing the devastating stereotypes of adults.

The ASA report follows a large -scale study that included 4000 adults of all ages, who participated in surveys and focus groups designed to assess the public’s reaction to how the elderly in the UK advertisement. More than a third of the respondents said they believed that people over 55 years old were routinely negative in ads.

Nearly half of those surveyed said that the depiction of the elderly as being unable to use or understand technology was offensive, while more than 20 % said that aging was often photographed as a “warrior”, especially in declaring beauty-a approach that many believe is harmful to self-esteem and contributes to age in the wider society.

One of the most critical examples of LinkedIn’s advertisement with the description line came “Parents do not get B2B”, which the participants said was the elderly as stupid or out of touch. “If you think others think you are stupid, this is the way you encounter, I don’t think this is a good self -esteem.”

The report also highlighted the JD Williams advertisement, which includes older women in bright fashion clothes forward below the train line, “a more friendly feeling than grandmother”. While some of the participants saw it as a positive and empowerment, others said that it has strengthened the idea that aging is something that can be resisted, with beauty and happiness linked to the younger appearance.

In general, 44 % of the surveyed people felt that humor at the expense of the elderly is likely to cause a crime, and over a third of, the aforementioned stereotypes – such as being angry, rich or social communication with their peers of the same age – are annoying or unhelpful.

ASA results also raised questions about advertising targeting practices, as many older viewers said they were excessive of ads for funeral services, burning, life insurance, and care houses, especially during the daytime TV. They said this focus enhances the idea that aging is only associated with planning or end of life.

Perhaps the most prominent of which is that 44 % of the participants said that they felt that the elderly were an active representative or completely absent in major categories such as fashion, beauty, technology and home commodities.

“As a society, we live a longer, richer and more diverse life,” said Cam Atwal, ASA research leadership. “Our research reveals that some pictures of the elderly of the advertisement are not positively received, and that the audience wants to better reflect the lives of the elderly the elderly.”

ASA says she will now participate with brands, agencies and media outlets to ensure that older consumers are treated fairly and photograph with more differences and respect. It did not indicate immediate organizational changes, but indicated that advertisers will be closely monitored to the content that may penetrate the current standards about harm and crime.

The Control Authority call comes with the continued progress of UK residents. By 2040, approximately one in four people in the UK will be more than 65 years old, making the older consumers increasingly important for marketing. Critics argue that failure to adapt to this shift not only risk the alienation of a large part of the population but also represents a lost commercial opportunity.

Stratemore Foods, which was mentioned in the report, was cited for comment. ASA says she will continue to assess whether the advertisement, and others, like it, violate the advertising code.