The Most Interesting Man In the World, Baby Boomers and Marketing

(originally published at SilverSneakers.com)

Advertisers often stereotype seniors at their own peril.

In 2006 the United States was introduced to “The Most Interesting Man in the World” by Dos Equis. Jonathan Goldsmith, now 78, played the part and the company road the wave of popularity for over a decade. But, in March of 2016, Dos Equis showed Goldsmith the door and launched him into space. The most interesting man in the world was retired and replaced by 41-year-old Augustin Legrand in the new ads. 

What were they thinking?

The vice president of marketing for Dos Equis defended the change by saying what is ‘interesting’ today is not the same as what was interesting when the campaign began. The new character, he argues, appeals to today’s Dos Equis drinker more effectively than the previous “most interesting man in the world.” Time will tell if this is a winning strategy but changing lifestyles may upend many marketing assumptions about who companies should spend their marketing dollars on.   

Are boomers too old for advertising? We don’t think so!

Traditionally, marketers consider 49 the “cut-off” age and generally focus on consumers from 18 to 49. The youngest of the baby boomer generation have passed this milestone. Most companies, including Dos Equis, aren’t trying to market to the boomers anymore. But are they missing out? 

According to a 2012 Nielsen study, 50 percent of the American population is now older than 50. That same group controls 70 percent of the country’s disposable income and is set to inherit nearly $15 trillion by 2032.

If the market is so big and boomers have so much money to spend, why aren’t advertisers reaching out? Or at least including us more often in their ad campaigns? Many companies are unable or unwilling to see the reality: Many boomers have money. Many also have tremendous credibility that appeals to a variety of age groups including millennials. No generation is quite like boomers. 

As we get older, we aren’t acting in stereotypical ways. First off, don’t tell us we’re old. That word has all kinds of baggage that we just don’t want to lug. We are experienced. And retirement means something different than it did a generation ago. Sitting at home reading the newspaper? Waiting for visitors? No thanks. We have decided to be more active than many retirees of prior generations. Many of us are focusing on our physical health and fitness in unprecedented ways. Traveling, visiting kids and grandkids instead of waiting for them to visit us. We are a take charge generation, staying fit so we can stay active. Many of us are busier, and more fit, than we were before retirement.

Some companies are waking up the new realities of the post-50s set. We are discerning, we are loyal and we are interesting. Most importantly for advertisers, many of us have money.

After all, to be “the most interesting man in the world” you have to do some living.  

Boomers in TV marketing

There are a number of companies who are trying to attract boomers, especially for products not normally associated with this age demographic. Are there products that only boomers buy? Sure. But there are so many other products that everyone buys, especially related to technology. According to the 2012 Nielsen study, 41 percent of Apple® customers are Boomers. Last year, Apple released the commercial “Dive.” It features a gentleman who is clearly over 50 at the pool listening to his iPhone7. He turns the volume up and walks up to the highest diving board at the pool while the city of Barcelona plays a starring role in background. He ascends the ladder and skillfully executes his dive while listening to the music playing from his phone at full blast. While the commercial is meant to showcase the speakers of the phone, we took note of the diver’s confidence and panache! Apple’s not the only company that sees the value and attraction of boomers. 

There are a number of baby boomer celebrities who appear in commercials. L'Oréal Paris® has spots by Julianne Moore and Andie MacDowell. Danny Trejo encourages users to switch to Sling TV. The “You’re not you when you’re hungry” campaign by Snickers® has used many boomer celebrities in their ads including their Super Bowl slots, including Trejo and Steve Buscemi in The Brady Bunch, Willem Dafoe and Eugene Levy in Marilyn Monroe, and while not a boomer, we love Betty White’s spirit in the Snickers football slot. 

While some advertisers are recognizing the value, more advertisers may want to take note of baby boomers, and not just for “old people products.” This generation is not interested in living a sedentary existence.  Apple and L'Oréal Paris celebrate boomers for their youthfulness. Dos Equis recognized our gravitas. Other companies may want to follow. After all, to be “the most interesting man in the world” you have to do some living.