What if you could blend into a commercial plane with your frequent flier miles like this older English man? In this body-positive, age-inclusive series, Trina Merry blends seniors into environments around UK & London. One painting blends a senior male into a commercial plane on-site at the "Top Gear" track airfield and another blends a senior female in London into a phone box and moving a double-decker bus.
This PSA campaign was created for Age UK to spread awareness about the ageism of the 65+ seniors who are economically invisible in the UK. Older people are routinely overlooked by commercial organizations. Product developers and marketers target young people and ignore this older crowd who are, according to research, are not only a viable fiscal demographic but Baby Boomers are currently the largest consumers for travel & travel insurance in the UK.
To dramatize the campaign, we created a series of striking body camouflage images with older models blending into commercial backgrounds to convey that as a demographic they are overlooked by businesses and society as if they are invisible and fading into the background. Through this powerful imagery, we hope to bring the implicit age bias to the forefront of society, so that it can no longer be ignored.
The purpose of the shoot is to highlight society's obsession with youth. Maitland/AMO conducted two sets of research to support this. One set investigated the age cohort of different consumers in different sectors. The other set looked at who the marketeers target as their bullseye demographic. This research proved that businesses disproportionately target their products and services at young people, even though older people make up a significant consumer group with more disposable cash. The conclusion is that older people are becoming economically invisible to businesses.
About Age UK:
Age UK is the country's largest charity dedicated to helping everyone make the most of later life. We provide companionship, advice and support for older people who need it most. The over-60s is the fastest-growing group in society and there are more of us than ever before.
Ageing is not an illness, but it can be challenging. At Age UK we provide services and support at a national and local level to inspire, enable and support older people. We stand up and speak for all those who have reached later life, and also protect the long-term interests of future generations. We tackle loneliness, get older people active, and support people to stay independent for longer.
About Maitland/AMO:
Europe's leading financial, corporate & political communications consultancy providing trusted advice and strategic counsel. We have the depth of experience to provide you with trusted advice on any communication issue you might encounter, whether your organisation is facing a barrage of press criticism, planning an investor roadshow or wants to launch a campaign involving a key piece of Government policy.
We provide company leaders and the heads of major organisations with the communications strategy they need to win over the audiences that matter most to them. We then advocate tirelessly for our clients among crucial opinion formers in the financial community, the media and the political world.