The UK’s advertising watchdog has issued a strong rebuke to brands that continue to rely on outdated and harmful stereotypes of older people, warning that many portrayals are offensive and fail to reflect the reality of ageing in modern society.
In a report published today, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) singled out several high-profile adverts for depicting older people as grumpy, technologically inept, lonely or burdensome, and said the industry must do more to reflect the diversity and vibrancy of older lives.
One TV advert cited in the report, for Scotland-based Strathmore Foods, shows an elderly man angrily reacting to a football hitting his car before deflating the ball and eating a microwave meal alone—an ad the ASA described as reinforcing damaging stereotypes of older people as both intolerant and isolated.
The ASA’s report follows a wide-ranging study involving 4,000 adults of all ages, who participated in surveys and focus groups designed to evaluate the public’s reaction to how older people are depicted in UK advertising. More than a third of respondents said they believed people over the age of 55 were routinely negatively stereotyped in ads.
Nearly half of those surveyed said portraying older people as unable to use or understand technology was potentially offensive, while more than 20% said ageing was too often depicted as something to be “fought”, particularly in beauty advertising—an approach many believed was harmful to self-esteem and contributed to ageism in wider society.
One of the most criticised examples came from a LinkedIn ad with the tagline “Parents don’t get B2B”, which participants said painted older people as stupid or out of touch. “If you think other people think you are stupid and that’s how you come across, I don’t think that is good for self-esteem,” said one female respondent.
The report also highlighted a JD Williams advert featuring older women in bright, fashion-forward clothing under the strapline “Feeling more girlfriend than grandma.” While some participants saw it as a positive and empowering depiction, others said it reinforced the idea that ageing is something to be resisted, with beauty and happiness linked to looking younger.
Overall, 44% of people surveyed felt that humour at the expense of older people was likely to cause offence, and over a third said stereotypical portrayals—such as being always grumpy, wealthy, or only socialising with peers of the same age—were irritating or unhelpful.
The ASA’s findings also raised questions about advertising targeting practices, with many older viewers saying they were being shown an excessive number of ads for funeral services, cremations, life insurance and care homes, particularly during daytime television. This emphasis, they said, reinforces the notion that ageing is solely linked to decline or end-of-life planning.
Perhaps most notably, 44% of participants said they felt older people were underrepresented or entirely absent in key categories like fashion, beauty, technology and household goods.
“As a society, we’re living longer, richer and more varied lives,” said Kam Atwal, the ASA’s research lead. “Our research reveals that some of today’s portrayals of older people in advertising are not being received positively, and that the public wants ads to better reflect the varied lives older people lead today.”
The ASA says it will now engage with brands, agencies and media planners to ensure that older consumers are treated fairly and portrayed with greater nuance and respect. It did not suggest immediate regulatory changes but indicated that advertisers would be monitored more closely for content that may breach existing standards on harm and offence.
The watchdog’s call comes as the UK population continues to age. By 2040, nearly one in four people in the UK will be over 65, making older consumers an increasingly important demographic for marketers. Critics argue that failing to adapt to this shift not only risks alienating a large part of the population but also represents a missed commercial opportunity.
Strathmore Foods, whose advert was cited in the report, has been approached for comment. The ASA says it will continue to assess whether the advert, and others like it, breach the advertising code.
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UK watchdog criticises ‘offensive’ portrayal of older people in adverts