Commentary
What Happened To Aspiration?
- by Brent Bouchez , November 15, 2010
And the one thing every client wanted, no matter what the product, was to make people want what they were selling. And how do you make that happen? By creating aspiration. Make it sexy, make it cool, make it juicy and gorgeous and delectable and irresistible ... that has always been my job.
Since I opened five0, I've noticed something.
If you look at advertising for people from, say, 5 years old to 50 years old, it all tries to do what I spoke about above. It tries to get the viewer or reader to "aspire" to the product or brand. Some do it well, others not so well, but the mission is always the same.
But take a look at advertising for people over 50 and a funny thing happens. It stops being about aspiration and starts being about what I call "need state." You may not want the product, but you definitely need it.
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Your back hurts, so you can't bend over to pick up your grandchildren.
You can't read the paper because your eyes are shot.
You can't have sex anymore.
You didn't plan well, so you can't retire.
You can't get the lid off the jar.
You've fallen and you can't get up.
Marketing and advertising for the 50+ target is the land of "can't."
What happened to "can"? What happened to creating aspiration? What happened to making a product cool or fun or sexy? Why do marketers think that just because I turned 50 I don't aspire to anything anymore?
The fact is, I have more aspiration than ever before. Different aspirations, yes. But aspiration is aspiration, no matter what it's for. And it's positive, it's something I'm looking forward to, it's something I can and will do because I want to.
There are already too many things in life that I need to do or have to do. I have to pay my taxes. I need to mow the lawn. I have to go to work on Monday.
Now, I know what you're about to say. How on earth can you make something like medication for men who have to urinate constantly cool?
Well, the first thing you can do is make sure the creative people who work on the product are actually over 50 and actually somewhat creative. Otherwise, you end up with commercials like the one I'm constantly seeing for a drug called Flomax. You've probably seen it too.
A group of guys in their 40's and 50's playing golf, but instead of the commentator talking about their shot-making, he is instead discussing their bathroom habits. Apparently, these men can't play a round of golf without stopping to pee every five minutes.
Now, I understand that this is a real problem and that lots of men suffer from this condition. But I have to ask, where is the aspiration? Where is the message that makes me want to buy the product? Do I want to be those guys? Not for a second, even if they only had to pee once a month. Does anyone want to be them? I doubt it, even if you do play golf. There's nothing cool about them. Nothing to aspire to.
Instead, try this:
OPEN ON THE 24 HOURS OF LE MANS. IT'S NIGHT. THE LIGHTS OF THE RACE CARS ARE PIERCING THE DARKNESS, THEY SCREAM BY THE PITS AT 200 MPH. THE PITS ARE A FRENZY OF TIRE CHANGING AND FUELING, CARS BLAST IN, TIRED DRIVERS ARE UNBUCKLED AND HELPED OUT OF TINY COCKPITS AS THE NEXT DRIVER WAITS IMPATIENTLY TO GET BEHIND THE WHEEL AND BLAST BACK OUT INTO THE NIGHT. ENGINES REV, WRENCHES SPIN, CREW CHIEFS YELL INSTRUCTIONS OVER THE DIN. CUT TO A GUY WHO LOOKS LIKE PAUL NEWMAN IN A RACING SUIT, HE'S 60+, STRIKING SILVER HAIR AND A TAN FACE THAT SAYS HE'S BEEN AROUND AND DONE A LOT. AS HE PULLS HIS BALACLAVA ON AND STARTS TO DON HIS HELMET, HE LOOKS RIGHT INTO THE CAMERA AND SAYS...
PAUL: I'm going to be in that car for four hours at an average of 184 miles per hour. Believe me, I'm not gonna stop to pee.
HE SLIPS INTO THE CAR AND THE CREW BUCKLES HIM IN, THE GULL WING DOOR IS CLOSED AND LATCHED. THROUGH THE PLEXIGLASS WINDOW WE SEE A RACING GLOVE GIVE THUMBS UP. THE ENGINE SCREAMS AND THE CAR JETS DOWN THE PIT LANE. THE CAMERA RISES AS WE WATCH THE CAR WAIL INTO THE NIGHT.
SUPER: Flomax. For men who'll never stop.
Would that DTC pharmaceutical marketing were that easy!
People 50+ are wining & dining, hiking up sand dunes, dancing, playing golf, tennis and living life to its fullest. Advertising, television shows and movies continually insult this age group that has money to spend. Kudos for suggesting those in marketing should be of an age to understand this demographic.
Well said. (And you made it look easy . . . we all know better.)
Well said, indeed. The theory still holds when the consumer is two decades older -- we still want to aspire, not merely exist. Love the concept ad too.
Love this post, Brent.
And I think the answer isn't as concrete as having we "oldies" be involved in campaigns as much as it is making sure our creative and account teams are comprised of people from a variety of different age groups and backgrounds. Young minds can often be brilliant - and I so love having them involved when we're working on concepts. But the voices of experience (and sometimes) reason) shouldn't be overlooked, either.
And, of course, we all know that. Practicing it, however, is often the difficult part.
And, for the record, I don't know any 50 year olds who spend any time thinking about peeing problems while on the golf course. All the ones that I know are thinking about drinking and playing MORE golf :)))
Thanks again for a great read.
Shelly
@shellykramer
http://v3im.com
Great thinking! By giving an example of the right way to do it, it becomes constructive criticism.
Right on the money! However, we believe the blame should not be put entirely at the marketer’s doorstep. More often it’s company management imposing their frame of reference on marketer’s creative that results’ in a “need it” approach. We like to think of Brent’s “aspiration” approach as positioning products and services as "gateways to experiences". Unfortunately the current myths and stereotypical thinking on aging limits a real world perception of older customers.
Regarding the typical age makeup of ad agency creative’s there’s evidence that it is skewed young. As such their frame of reference (how they see the world) skews young as well.
Finally, Brent’s suggested approach is storytelling. As we age we have a proclivity to be attracted by stories. And, the foundation of using a story telling approach in older markets is based upon sound research. Brent’s suggested story approach is ageless in nature and would be much more effective.
My first thought was, you must have been in a coma the last 10 years. I have a big and wonderful group of 50+ members on my website. In fact this the 40 to 60 year old gen is my largest group. Why? First off they are not as mobile or athletic as the 20 something group. Second they are looking for a simple online hobby that is clean and fun. Third, they are very worried about the future of their personal finance. If they win prizes to fill the voids, that is money they don't have to spend. Last, both men and women members are more competitive than Michael Jordan in their 50's because they believe they can win. The key is believing you can win at any age.
Better aspiration than expiration...I think you would be hard pressed to find many large agencies with 50+'s in the creative dept. They have usually been moved up and out or just out. Kudos to your vision.
Great post!
I do find that both companies and agencies have always had 20 and 30 somethings on every account. That's the way the career path is set up. By the time you hit your 50's you're either way up the ladder or doing something entrepreneurial.
The bigger questions for the truism that most products targeted to 50+ people are managed by 35 - managers, is how to change it.
Great article!
Great article and example. Of course we Boomers have aspirations! It's not just the younger "creatives" who need to be reminded; but the ageism permeates so many corporate marketing departments. When I'm asked to do qualitative research with the proverbial "25-54" year olds, I always have to ask the question...do you think I would not be a prime target for your brand/product? Of course I would, though I wouldn't fit these specs. We Boomers are all getting younger; even if we have cranky knees. We're still dreaming and aspiring.
I must admit that whenever I hear the term '50 +' I immediately think 'old' because I have been programmed to think that way by the media. Then I have to stop and remember that I just reached that milestone myself and surprise, surprise, I don't feel any different. I still wear the same black jeans, run the same distance, ride the same insane thoroughbred and travel to the same places that I did when I was thirty. There is definitely a huge gap these days between perception and reality when it comes to marketing to this group.
Janie -
www.mojominute.blogspot.com
While this is a positive and incremental approach, what's the tipping point that is going to fundamentally change the attitude that is so profoundly entrenched in our society and on steriods in the media biz. Ageism is so far off the radar that no one even considers a filter when tossing out snarky comments when addressing this audience.
Brent, you are so right. But this isn't only relevant for advertising targeted a the Boomers, it's true for all advertising. It should focus on the benefit, the "what's in it for me" and not the problem.
that is aspirational and inspirational.
Ageism is certainly one obvious facet, but it isn't the entire problem. Some creatives, account people, even clients skew *condescending*...to all customers who don't happen to be just like them, a clearly superior person with a cool job and all the latest interests approved by their peer group. Sad to say, they often get away with it. How about if we all agree to declare them to be the ones who are "irrelevant" (a really insidious misuse of the term that is cropping up a lot these days)?
Heck, I'm a woman and even *I* want some of that Flomax.
Yeah, I'm over 50 and honestly, if I only viewed my life through the advertising that's generally aimed at me, I'd just put a gun to my head and get it over with. I've never felt more confident and assured, I've remained relatively healthy and relatively fit, but the ads for people in my age cohort? Next stop, give granny a nice bowl of gruel.
Fie on these youngsters, I say. Fie!
Great article Brent, That's why your agency will be a big success. You get it. NBC Universal just published an article that old is the new young, Centrum Silver has a YouTube Video that show scantily clad women and men playing poker wait til the final moments for the payoff, Lincoln gets it with John Slattery from Mad Men. In every 50 year old beats the heart of a sexy, cool 18 year old. Boomers are about living and thriving not slowing down. They are spending 15 hours per week online per Harris Interactive, more time than teenagers. Fastest growing group on Facebook, yep women ages 50 +. 78 million boomers buy most travel, health care, autos, financial services, casual dining, pharma - the numbers don't lie. Who owns the most boats, planes, Porsches, homes, and second homes - Aspirations indeed. The Marketing VP's and CMO's who understand that their marketing dollars are missing 30% of the market (read consumers ages 45 - 65) who spend over $3 Trillion annually will succeed.
The problem with 30-somethings marketing to the 50+ crowd is that they approach the situation with the assumption that the only aspirations worth having are the somewhat shallow, neurotic ones they themselves have.
We might not be driven to get that big promotion, be an ace on the handball court or bag that hot chick in 3-A. But spend more than 10 minutes with a group of 50+ men or women and you'll hear plenty about what drives them. Our research shows they seems to aspire to things that actually enrich their lives, not their status.
http://www.quisenblog.com
I'd rather sell something to someone who has the money to buy it than to have some people (under 50) only be able to aspire. You need 2 sides of a coin to make it valuable.