Apia pushes boundaries with social experiment about ageist stereotypes via DDB Melbourne
Departing from traditional advertising, Apia and DDB Group Melbourne have conducted a social experiment that supports its new “Your Experience Deserves More” campaign.
The social experiment challenges the misconceptions of age and highlights the stereotypes that exist in society and the media.
The experiment and research findings will be used by Apia to challenge preconceptions of the over 50s market and was developed in conjunction with the team at DDB Group Melbourne, specifically RAPP, DDB and Mango for creative development, onscreen production, PR and seeding respectively.
The research uncovered that two thirds of respondents over 50 had faced age discrimination in their daily lives as well as feeling misrepresented in the media. The study echoed these sentiments, showing a younger demographic group casting people in ads and automatically associating younger age brackets with words like “fit”, “vivacious” and “adventurous” and stating that the older group “lacked vitality” and “the right look.”
Says Geoff Keogh, executive manager, Apia: “The research we undertook revealed some startling insights into perceptions of age in Australia. It’s time to break through this stigma and start conversations around the topic. The social experiment highlighted an underlying prejudice that those involved may not have realised existed. Our campaigns aim to demonstrate that life experience should be recognised and respected.”
Recognising and rewarding life experience was reiterated by Apia’s spokesperson and iconic broadcaster, Glenn Ridge, who believes that age should never define what one is capable of, stating “I’ve found that over 50s continually endeavour to reinvent themselves and adapt to changing times and situations. Staying vibrant, relevant and open to new experiences is something that’s very important at any age, not just as the years add up.
Apia, and Ridge, hope the findings will shift perception and encourage society to think twice about dismissing those who are still shaping and challenging our future.
Apia
Marketing Manager, Apia Marketing – Mark Behr
Brand Manager, Apia Marketing – Travis Hughes
Marketing Advisor, Apia Marketing – Heidi Storey
Agency (Rapp)
Executive creative director – Steve Crawford
Creative director – Murray Bransgrove
Art director – Emily Somers
Copywriter – Ryan Najelski
Senior client lead – Angela Bishop
Senior account manager – Pia Christiansen
Account manager – Bobby Richardson
DDB, Head of onscreen – Simon Thomas
DDB, Producer – Jo Alach, Tuesday Picken
PR (Mango)
MD – Elly Hewitt
Head of PR – Rebecca Ahern
Account Director- Amanda Sheat
Account Manager – Lauren Hunt
Account Co-ordinator – Emma Paolucci
Production
Production company – Dougal Digital
Executive producer – Jo de Fina
Producer – Ariel Waymouth
Director – Henry Stafford
DOP – Paul Hughes
Offline Edit – Stu Willis
Grade/Online – Daniel Stonehouse, Crayon
Soundmix – Tristan Meredith, Now Hear This
Media
Media agency – Starcom Melbourne
6 Comments
ha. These stereotypes are prevalent in every agency and headhunter’s office across Australia. Advertising doesn’t just sanction based on gender but also on age.
Pls stop trying. Cheap imitation.
But don’t Apia indulge in this themselves – by only insuring those over 50. Never really been interested in their product as I totally refuse to conform to the over 50 stereotype.
Unfortunately, by trying to defy a stereotype, it just goes to reinforce the stereotype.
To be fair though, if you ask a group of younger people who they think is sexy, fit adventurous and so on, and they have the choice between senior types and people their own age it isn’t surprising they pick people their own age.
I do think ageism is an issue but I’m not sure that this experiment really nailed it. Plus it is very Dove.
I have a massive issue with a certain comment made in a current radio ad for Apia, obviously to do with this ‘Your Experience Deserves More’ campaign. The ad states something like ‘You’ve earned more respect….’ (being over 50) which is such an incorrect and offensive statement to make. People gain respect through their actions, certainly not their age. Are you saying that a 60 y/o should be respected more than a 25 y/o simply because they’re 60? What if that 60 y/o treated people terribly, had been a useless parent and never did a hard days work, yet the 25 y/o treated people kindly, worked hard, volunteered and was just a generally nice person, does the 60 y/o still deserve more respect?
By all means say that people over 60 have got more ‘life’ experience, but please do not use the word ‘respect’ as respect has NOTHING to do with age.