John Paul II wasn’t a big fan of advertising. He warned that it offered young people ‘immediate satisfaction of every desire.’ To be clear, His Holiness saw this as a problem. According to Poland’s most famous diocese surveyor, advertising stirred in the youth a ‘natural inclination to avoid hard work.’ The pontiff may have had a point.
For decades, teenagers and twenty-somethings have been sold brands through a blend of sex, dancing, and the promise of a countercultural utopia. From fast food to fashion, ads spoke to the youth in their language, portraying (sometimes questionable) versions of their lives. This approach made good business sense. The ‘boomers’ were the first generation of young adults with real discretionary spending power.
In the 1960s and 1970s they represented a whole new customer segment, with $14 billion to spend by 1965 — an amount that only grew as Western economies expanded in the 1980s and 1990s. The logic was simple: meet the audience where they are, and reap the rewards. But if advertising for the young painted a picture of a promised future, for older generations it was often a stark reminder of the end. It wasn’t about celebrating life but preparing for its conclusion — life insurance, equity release mortgages, or the promise of life without leaks. Now, however, as the cost of living rises and wealth accumulates in managed funds, the bank accounts of mortgage-free, child-free sixty-somethings; marketing to different generations is evolving.
Age and ageing are being rebranded
Age is no longer something to hide — it’s an achievement. Growing older isn’t something to be ashamed of, it’s just a number. Peloton’s ‘Anyone, Anywhere’ campaign is a cross-generational snapshot that notably skews towards the over-40s. Apple continues to celebrate creators in their golden years. Airbnb honours a couple who’ve been married for 57 years in their ‘hosts’ campaign, sound tracked by Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s Bonnie & Clyde.
As always, fashion leads the way in embracing older generations. Elizabeth Hurley remains the face of Estée Lauder more than 30 years after she began. Dior hasn’t felt the need to replace Charlize Theron in two decades. At the recent Victoria’s Secret show, 15% of the models were over 40. This autumn, Alexander Skarsgård is the face of Calvin Klein.
The aspirations once captured in youth-targeted campaigns are now being presented in Technicolor for those closer to their free bus pass than their young person’s railcard. While grandparents are being encouraged to firm up their skin and let down their hair, younger generations are approached with more caution. For today’s twenty-somethings, the future is rarely presented as a sunlit upland brimming with opportunity.
Once upon a time, Levi’s was sold on sex appeal. Now, it’s sold for durability. Adidas used to throw house parties with David Beckham and Missy Elliott — now it’s Kermit the Frog selling the benefits of sustainable shoes. In 1984, Ford was the fourth-largest company in the world, encouraging you to ‘put the key in, put the top down, let’s go.’ By 2024, the fourth-largest company is Google, gently reassuring its audience that it’s okay not to know. The confident, dream-big tone of the past has given way to a quieter, more thoughtful message.
It all comes down to purchasing power
While today’s teenagers and twenty-somethings are a larger market than their counterparts in the mid-20th century, thanks to inflation, they have significantly less purchasing power. Gen Z has 86% less spending power than boomers did in their twenties. With housing and education costs skyrocketing, there’s less room for the variety of consumer spending once enjoyed by boomers and Gen X.
And the negative trends extend beyond finances. Well-being is declining among those under 30. Once, pessimism was the province of those who had lived long enough to see their heroes fall. Now, it’s a trait worn by the young. When your audience is uncertain about their future — and perhaps the planet — it’s wise not to use wild house parties to sell sneakers. In a world that feels precarious, Kermit the Frog is a much more comforting pitch-man.
As for their parents, and their parents parents who hold 70% of all household wealth… well, they’re having too much fun to care.
Featured image: Vitaliy Shevchenko / Unsplash