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Ageism alive and well on Madison Avenue
I am outraged with Madison Avenue and the role they are playing to demean aging, ridicule and poke fun at a destiny all will experience at some time in their life. This has to stop!
I am also a member of a group called The Society-Advocates for the New Customer Majority expressing the viewpoints from those of us over 40.
Case in point: Frito-Lay. The portrayal of an elderly couple grappling for a bag of chips on the floor with a cane and a set of dentures in hand depicts Gen S (seniors 65+) as physically disabled and mentally impaired.
To add insult to injury, Meijer Toys has announced an Action Hero game. The 30-second animated spot features two rival toy heroes grown so old they can't quite remember what they're fighting about. The tagline is: "New toys get old real fast; don't pay more than you have to. " The spot is running in five Midwestern states where Meijer has retail outlets. (See the spot: AdAqe.com QwikFIND aap32u I This ad was produced by De Vito Verdi, New York.
It is time Madison Avenue wakes up, or more importantly grows up, and takes a serious look at the realities of the demographics in the United States....