A dating app for over 50s has persuaded half a dozen people to bare it all in a protest against ageism in advertising.
The ad created by dating app Lumen features models holding nothing but a placard with anti-ageism slogans to cover their naked bodies.
Slogans include: ‘Grey hair don’t care’, ‘Nobody puts Granny in the corner’ and ‘It’s our time to be seen’.
The campaign will be unveiled to commuters on the London Underground from Monday 8 April.
Lumen co-founder and CMO Charly Lester said: “The fact that almost nine in 10 over-50s think that advertising aimed at them needs to change should be a real wake-up call to the industry about the ‘everyday ageism’ all around us.
“Not only is it a case of underrepresentation, but heavily edited images are making older people feel like it’s not ok to be themselves.
Lester added: “We’re calling on advertisers to reconsider how they portray older age groups and show them for the attractive, funny and real people they are.”
The campaign follows research by Lumen which found 86 per cent of over-50s wanted advertising targeted at them to change, with 51 per cent suggesting there is too much airbrushing, and a further 36 per cent put off by models looking like plastic.
Overall, 30 per cent said models and celebrities were made to look younger than their actual age, with 36 per cent saying there was too much emphasis on the “downsides” of ageing.
And, 31 per cent of over 50s believe that advertising is ageist.
At B&T, we believe that advertising like this can shape and influence culture. That’s one of the reasons we created Changing the Ratio, Australia’s diversity and inclusion conference for the advertising industry. Check out the 2019 schedule today.
