Disrupting Ageism in AdvertisingFrom a 2017 post about Joseph Coughlin:
By Grace Birnstengel
This outspoken 2019 Influencer in Aging has a few choice words for the ad world…
…. There are lots of folks who’ve educated us and continue to educate us. Names off the top of my head: Robert N. Butler, David Wolfe, Ken Dychtwald, John Migliaccio, Kurt Medina, Matt Thornhill, Brent Green, Marti Barletta, Mary Furlong, Myrna Blyth, Carol Orsborn, Rick Moody, Mark Miller, Paul Kleyman, Scott Rains, Kevin Lavery, Dick Stroud, Reg Starkey, Laurie Orlov, Richard Adler, Todd Harff, Bill Thomas, Louis Tenenbaum, Arjan in’t Veld, Martijn de Haas, David Cravit, Moses Znaimer, Maxime de Jenlis, Florian Kohlbacher, Christopher Simpson, Gail Sheehy, Marc Middleton, Ronni Bennett, Jim Gilmartin, Gill Walker, Dave McCaughan, Kim Walker, Tony Mariani, Barry Robertson, Frédéric Serriere, Bob Hoffman, have I left any out? No doubt.Culled from the Next Avenue interview:
“There’s a very simple way to address negative stereotype depictions of aging in advertising. When you have older people creating ads, producing, approving — problem solved.”
Sounds familiar. A 2003 article of mine courtesy of The Way Back Machine:
For more background, download the Intro & 1st Chapter of Advertising to Baby Boomers (selected as a Classroom Resource by The Advertising Educational Foundation)Advertising to Baby Boomers - Back into the Fold
The Giant Leap: there had better be a minor revolution in the creative end of the advertising industry. Talented men and women in their late forties and fifties need to be brought back into the fold if you want to reach us. This includes copywriters, graphic artists, producers, directors, and creative directors.
… Truth is, you can analyze marketing fodder all day and night, read countless books about marketing to Baby Boomers, attend advertising and marketing conventions around the world, and soak up everything all the experts have to say … But if you plan on implementing a creative strategy, and turn it over to a different generation of advertising professionals - you'll forfeit the natural sensibilities required to generate vital campaigns.
Intro & First Chapter (PDF)There’s also a chapter in the book titled Get Rid of The Stereotypes.
It’s great to have Ms. Gallop aboard.
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*** The above is an update post from last October:
AARP & NostraChuckus