From ‘vulnerable' to brand advocates: How senior citizens have transformed in content narratives

A few weeks ago, CarDekho, a tech-driven automotive brand, launched a campaign to safeguard elderly drivers from impatient and hostile people behind the wheel on the road. The brand explained how, due to the health risks associated with public transport, the elderly have been driving themselves since the pandemic broke out.

But their commute is often made difficult by drivers honking at them or trying to rashly drive around their car. CarDekho suggested a simple solution. It recommended that elderly drivers indicate themselves with an ‘E’ on the windshield, just like learners do with an ‘L’. This way, the others on the road will know to treat them with caution and give them space – much like how they do with learning drivers.

CarDekho’s E for Elderly’ campaign:

It took no time for the content-driven campaign to go viral. It was appreciated and shared by people on WhatsApp, Facebook and other platforms organically.

From being shown as miserable and dependent family members to independent, high-spirited and living larger than life, the depiction and usage of senior citizens in content have come a long way. Gone are the days where the old were shown as cranky, old next-door uncles, or the conservative aunties who frown upon high hemlines. 

This change in the communication strategy of brands is a mirror image of the cultural changes the nation has gone through.

Gaurav Mehta

Gaurav Mehta, Chief Marketing Officer, CarDekho, said, “We no more show senior citizens as ‘bebas and bechara’. Even in our campaign, we have shown the elders resolving their own issues and taking things into their own hands. One just becomes a little bit weak with age, but that’s a natural ageing process. The spirit doesn’t die. The difference that we have seen from earlier communications to now is that the spirits are always shown as sacrosanct.”

Friends diaper released a communication last year, where a group of elderly friends were shown planning a road trip. One of the friends was hesitant to go because of the old-age challenge of not being able to control urination. But then the Friends adult diaper comes to his rescue. It’s an example of a communication piece where the brand addresses a taboo while showing the elders in high spirits and an uncompromised lifestyle.

Friends adult diaper campaign:

One fact that has forever been universally true and accepted worldwide is that the elderly must be respected and taken care of. Mehta said the best stories are those that have universal acceptance of emotions. Quoting famous author Devdutt Pattanaik, he said humanity brings people together and cultures divide them. There are a lot of human values that will resonate with people across the world. Campaigns featuring the elderly work, especially in India, because they are based on the universal emotion of respecting senior citzens.

In fact, anything that appeals to universal emotions works. In 2017, Vodafone’s IPL campaign featuring veteran Bharatanatyam dancers and Padma Bhushan awardees Shanta and Vannadil Pudiyaveettil Dhananjayan went viral and was the most talked-about campaign at that time among all age groups.

One of the films from the Vodafone campaign:

When brands feature baby boomers in their communication, it makes them (brands) look empathetic and inclusive.

Last month, Columbia Pacific Communities launched its campaign ‘Positive ageing with Ruskin Bond’, where the author encouraged positive ageing and community living among senior citizens. He shared his belief in the concept of positive ageing and how people entering the golden years of life should feel invested in living to the fullest.

Columbia Pacific Communities’ ‘Positive ageing’ campaign video:

Piali Dasgupta

Piali Dasgupta, Senior Vice-President, Marketing, Columbia Pacific Communities, said, “Featuring elders in communication portrays them as an inclusive brand with a wider target audience. It adds a layer to the narrative and texture to the overall message. And it makes them unsexist. It adds wholesomeness to the brand personality and aids brands in crafting communication that is both memorable and high on EQ.”

She gave examples of some ads featuring senior citizens that clicked across generations, which also stands true for content marketing. “It’s why the Pond’s Cold Cream ‘Dadu’ ad done last year by Ogilvy Mumbai pulled at our heartstrings. It’s why some of us still remember Help Age India’s ‘Daadi’ ad from 2016 that told children of the elderly that it was their time to care for their parents. And in some cases, like the iconic ‘Donate Your Words’ by Cadbury in the UK in 2019 to urge people to reach out to senior citizens and spend a little time with them, it has the power to catalyse social behaviour as well.”

It is not only brands that have increased the usage of elders in long-form content narratives; there is also a growing trend of the rise in senior citizen influencers and content creators. Instagram keeps buzzing with branded content posts by people such as Neena Gupta, Ravi Bala, Anupam Kher, Dinesh Mohan, Poonam Sapra (Mother with a sign) and others. They are, in fact, as appealing as the younger generation of influencers to consumers on social media.

Shuchi Sethi

Shuchi Sethi, India Lead, AnyTag, (influencer marketing platform at Pokkt), believes these elderly influencers act like real advocates for the brands, which in the long run is more efficient and effective. She said that this trend is here to stay and grow subsequently.

 “Lately, there has been a sudden rise of older content creators, which is lucrative not just for the brands but also consumers as they are changing the narrative. The elderly influencers create a huge impact, as they have that inspiration factor in them. Everyone these days is looking for a story and hope, which these influencers bring out in the best possible way.  The best part about these influencers is that they talk about what they truly believe in. Guess this is where experience comes into play. They are redefining what ‘old’ means.”

While the marketing world keeps buzzing with jargons such as millennials and GenZ, brands must not ignore the fact that unlike yesteryears, there is a trend of senior citizens becoming financially independent. It’s only fair that brands represent them enough, and represent them correctly in order to forge a connection with them. 

Kunal Kishore Sinha

 Kunal Kishore Sinha, Co-founder and COO, ClanConnect AI, said it would be myopic for brands to not focus on the elderly target market. He said, “In a marketing landscape keenly focused on millennials and GenZ, senior citizens have hitherto remained outside of the ambit of marketing initiatives. However, as the population that joined the workforce in the early ’90s enters the 50+ age bracket, we’re seeing an interesting economic shift in the country. The ‘elderly’ cohort now has high disposable income and is not wary of spending on products such as gadgets. Therefore, it would be myopic for brands to not focus on this target market.”

The examples of CarDekho, Columbia Pacific Communities and Vodafone communications all depict the increased disposable income of senior citizens and the cultural changes we have undergone.

Dasgupta added, “The characters are fun-loving, jovial, tech-savvy, and living life to the fullest. And that is the right way to build narratives around senior citizens.” 

He added, “In fact, we’ve been seeing an influx of elderly influencers, proving that social media is not just a young person’s game. Several senior individuals have come forth to create funny, relatable, informative content that appeals not just to their age demographic but across generations. As more elderly influencers enter the fray, marketers will have no choice but to revisit their strategies and add this invaluable customer base into their focus area.”

While brands must be cautious of how they show senior citizens, the platforms and channels that distribute the content need to be factored in.

Dasgupta of Columbia Pacific Communities said, “Emerging social media platforms such as the now-banned Tik Tok, or Clubhouse, or even most OTT platforms, are not favoured channels for seniors because seniors are late adopters of technology. However, they have a comparatively higher attention span than the millennial audience, with a great appetite for good quality content – irrespective of the length. So, a marketer doesn’t necessarily need to grab their attention in the first three seconds.”

Among social media platforms, Facebook is the most-used among seniors followed by LinkedIn. Seniors also tend to be very active on WhatsApp and email. “These should be the platforms of choice to target seniors other than, of course, credible news websites, which they use regularly, and has been using a lot in the post-Covid era. Most seniors still consume a lot of traditional media –TV and print,” said Dasgupta.

An important point Dasgupta made is that seniors today are a different breed from those 30 years ago. “They live life on their own terms, are adventure-seekers, look at retirement as the best phase of their lives, are making peace with technology and are fiercely independent. So, these attributes of the baby boomer generation need to reflect in the narratives. Mimicry or mockery of senior citizens in a content piece for a few easy laughs is never a good idea.”

A few years ago, 5-Star’s campaign ‘Do Nothing’ drew flak for the insensitive portrayal of youth towards the elderly.

As more and more brands realise the importance of creating communication that’s inclusive and realistic and come out of the shell of targeting GenZ and millennials, one would get to see many elderly content creators joining the communication narratives of brands.

Dasgupta concluded, “Let’s not forget that our grandparents are the first raconteurs of our lives. They are the ultimate storytellers. So, the ability to narrate a story and become a part of it is quite innate in them. And brands would look beyond megastars such as Big B, and approach seniors with interesting personalities to be a part of their storytelling process and to stay relevant and connected to an older audience that doesn’t necessarily connect with a Gen Z or millennial influencer.”