Second50Years Marketing Blog

Have you started seeing more laughlines in models’ faces in your women’s catalogs? You are not delusional. The demand for older models is booming, according to an article in the Los Angeles Times recently.

The trend is due to baby boomers wanting to see themselves reflected in the ads that market to them and the boomers’ awesome buying power. Boomers make up 26% of the population and, reputedly, have $2-trillion in spending power.

This accounts for the second life of actresses from Diane Keaton to Sally Field, but modeling agencies are also finding that demand for “classic” or “sophisticated” (read older) models is their fastest growing segment. J.Crew and Rolex are sporting older models in their ads, and there is a TV reality show, called “She’s Got the Look,” that is searching for the next supermodel over the age of 35.

If you still need to be persuaded to use older models in your advertising to older women, look no further than this study, done in 2006.

A researcher at Kansas State University showed two sets of photos of models wearing the same clothes to a group of women age 60-80. One set of photos was of middle-aged and older models, and the other set was of the same models, but computer enhanced to look younger.

The researcher found that “perceived similarity to the model” influenced the respondents’ reactions toward the models. In fact, the more similar the participants felt toward the model, the more likely they were to rate her as appealing and attractive and the model’s clothing as being fashionable and up-to-date. The study participants also said that the older models had more of an influence on their purchase intentions.

Your business may not need an older “supermodel,” but showing images of people close to the age of your customers and clients is becoming a winning formula.