ASA looking into the depiction of older people in advertising

Tired of the same old stereotypical depictions of older people in advertising?  
 
So are we! Showing older people as lacking in individuality as homogenous groups that are at the extremes of what it can be to be older creates damaging stereotypes. Be they negative portrayals of older people as only frail and vulnerable makes growing old seem depressing and perpetuates ageist attitudes;  or happier depictions of older people as affluent in an exaggerated and unrealistic way, or as super-agers taking on unreachable feats of fitness can lead to older people in poverty or ill-health not getting the support and services they need. 

That’s why we’re delighted to be supporting a major research project just launched by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), testing the public’s views on the portrayal of older people in ads, and how such portrayals may impact public attitudes and actions. 

This is part of our ongoing action to work with and challenge media organisations to ensure that older people are realistically represented, without reliance on outdated and negative stereotypes or stoking unnecessary intergenerational division. You may have seen our recent call to the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) to include ageism in their code of practice. 

This is really positive news; the ASA have previously done similar research into sexist adverts and this led to them to banning ads for contravening gender stereotypes.  

We are looking forward to hearing about the findings and next steps in 2025.

Find out more about the project on the ASA’s website.