An insurance company is challenging long-held beliefs in the advertising industry with a new campaign that defies tradition by featuring elderly people in ads targeting baby boomers. The new campaign
is from Genworth Financial, and features six active, vibrant people who are all at least 100 years old, touting insurance products tied to security later in life. The primary targets of the new
effort--on which the company plans to spend $35 million this year--are the thousands of brokers, bankers, and insurance agents who sell its policies. Typically, these salespeople are men ages 35 to
64, with an annual household income of at least $80,000. Buzz Richmond, Genworth's senior vice president and brand leader, says he hopes the ads will also attract attention from consumers as well. "We
thought this concept of centenarians would be a fascinating story of no matter how long you live, it's important to plan for the future," he says. The oldsters appearing in the ads include
100-year-old Leonard "Rosie" Ross, who plays the trumpet at a regular Friday gig and drives his own car. Another centenarian became a published author in her 90s, while a third celebrated his 100th
birthday by waterskiing.
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