It’s Ad Wednesday.
The hump day that shares the brilliant! and the bad (roadkill) ads from around the planet.
Senior brand speaks to all generations.
Company: AARP
Agency: GSD&M
What a difference a decade makes when you are thinking about a brand and who it’s for. When I was in my thirties, and you said AARP, I thought of grannies and old fart men with too much hair in their ears. Now when I see a copy at the doctor’s office, it’s got George Clooney on the cover. That man never gets old, how could that be?
The answer can go two ways.
1) AARP is broadening its reach with messaging to all generations, see campaign review.
2) I am getting older and will soon be in their demo. Yikes, I never that thought that would happen. But, like Einstein said, it’s all relative.
AARP is about is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. OK, so why all these campaigns with young voices and future situations.
Is about being relevant to what’s important to your market.
The AARP Web site explains, our members care deeply about the world they are leaving for their children and grandchildren, and our new ads show that AARP is a multigenerational, diverse organization committed to championing the future of our members – and the future of every generation. The ads focus on our members’ five core needs: the need for health; the need for financial security; the need to contribute or give back to society; the need for community and to stay connected to family, friends and social networks; and the need to play and enjoy life.
Makes sense to me. I give this campaign a brilliant light. Good work. And, for me, it takes some of the sting away from the fact that I too will be a member one day.
If you are working on a project for the over 50 crowd, check out the AARP.com’s Web site, it’s full of studies and ideas to reach this 70 million plus senior market on and off-line.
Fact: Older Wiser Wired
More than 40 million U.S. adults over 50 are online. They bank, they buy, they search, they read, they contribute. ACNielsen reports that people over 65 spend nearly twice as much time on the Web (26 hours) as those under 18.
Have you seen any interesting born-again brands that have been around along time and suddenly and need a fresh look or maybe an obituary draft? We want to hear from you.
About the author: Karen Post, a.k.a. The Branding Diva® is an international authority on branding, marketing, and entrepreneurial matters. She is has been featured as a business expert in print publications; on TV, radio, and on Web channels. Karen authored the best-selling book Brain Tattoos, Creating Unique Brands That Stick in your Customers’ Minds and she is co-founder and CEO of Oddpodz.com, an idea engine for creative professionals and business. Her work has benefited large and small organizations in the United States and around the world.