A woman over 60 can tell when a script was written by someone who has never considered what her life is actually like.
The giveaway might be an awkward reference to “women of a certain age.” Or the assumption that she wants to look younger. Or another scene that gives her nothing to do except smile at her grandchildren.
Brands increasingly recognize the value of older consumers. Yet the women they want to reach can still feel like an afterthought in the advertising itself. Hiring a mature creator helps. Giving her a say in the message would help more.
The commercial case has been clear for years. AARP’s Global Longevity Economy Outlook, developed with Economist Impact, found that people 50 and older accounted for half of global consumer spending in 2020, approximately $35 trillion. That figure includes several generations and both men and women, but it establishes the scale of the audience brands risk misunderstanding. [1]
THE MATURE CREATOR ADVANTAGE
The audience has buying power
$35 trillion
Global consumer spending by people aged 50+ in 2020
50% of global consumer spending
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Older consumers are also watching online. Pew Research Center’s 2025 survey found that YouTube and Facebook were used by a majority of adults in every age group studied, including those 65 and older. Reaching them through digital content is hardly an experimental proposition. [2]
Being present on a platform, however, does not mean feeling understood by its advertisers.
In AARP’s 2019 survey of nearly 2,000 U.S. women, 74% of boomer women said older adults were underrepresented in product advertising. More than seven in 10 boomer and Gen X women said they were more likely to purchase from brands whose advertising showed people of different ages. These were stated preferences, rather than measured purchases, but the message was clear: women noticed who was missing. [3]
More recent analysis suggests the problem goes beyond visibility. CreativeX’s 2025 Gender in Advertising report found that, within its analyzed advertising, 94% of portrayals of women aged 60 and older placed them in domestic or family settings. Only 6% placed them in professional or leadership roles. The findings describe the company’s sample, not every advertisement, but they show how limited representation can remain even when older women appear. [4]
THE MATURE CREATOR ADVANTAGE
Visible, but in a narrow role
94%
of portrayals of women aged 60+ were in domestic or family settings.
94% domestic / family
6% professional / leadership
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Family life matters. So do work, friendships, travel, money, sex, ambition, and the ordinary pleasure of buying something because you like it.
A woman does not stop having those interests when she becomes a grandmother. Nor should advertisers assume she is one.
Research published in the International Journal of Advertising in 2022 explored how older women wanted to be portrayed. Its qualitative findings favored more authentic identities, including women with purpose, rather than familiar grandmother stereotypes or an insistence on appearing ageless. The study offers insight into participants’ preferences, not a universal recipe for reaching every older woman. [5]
That distinction matters because replacing one stereotype with another gets advertisers nowhere. Older women do not all want the same things. Neither do younger women.
This is where mature creators can contribute more than their appearance.
A creator who understands the customer’s circumstances can question the premise of a script. Does this sound like something someone would say? Is the problem recognizable? Has the brand mistaken a product feature for a reason to buy?
Consider a hypothetical makeup brief. “This foundation is perfect for mature skin” tells the viewer whom the product targets. “My makeup looks fine when I leave the house. By dinner, it’s settled into every line” describes an experience.
The product still has to substantiate its claims. But the second approach gives the viewer a reason to keep listening.
There is a trust gap to address. Business Insider reported in October 2026 that Morning Consult research found 31% of boomers trusted influencer recommendations at least somewhat, compared with 62% of Gen Z and 64% of millennials. Its reporting also described agency interviews in which some older creators delivered strong conversions but still faced resistance from brands. Those accounts do not prove mature creators always perform better. They do challenge the assumption that youth is the safest creative choice. [6]
THE MATURE CREATOR ADVANTAGE
Trust has to be earned
Share who trust influencer recommendations at least somewhat
Baby boomers31%
Gen Z62%
Millennials64%
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Brands can test a better approach without rebuilding their entire process. Bring mature creators into concept development. Ask them to challenge the hook. Pay for their creative judgment. Compare the resulting work using meaningful outcomes, including qualified inquiries and sales.
A younger writer can write an excellent ad for an older audience. Doing so requires curiosity, research, and a willingness to listen. A mature creator’s experience is another resource available to that writer.
When brands invite older women into the process only after the script is approved, they miss that opportunity.
The woman hired to deliver the line may be the first person who can explain why it will not work. Ask her while there is still time to change it.
Sources
- AARP Global Longevity Economy Outlook
- Pew Research Center: Americans’ Social Media Use 2025
- AARP: Boomer and Gen-X Women Feel Ignored by Beauty and Grooming Product Makers (2019)
- CreativeX: Gender in Advertising 2025
- International Journal of Advertising: Exploring how older women want to be portrayed in advertisements (2022)
- Business Insider: Influencers have a baby boomer problem (October 21, 2026)
