VisualGPS Creative Trends Culture Disrupting Ageing in France

Like many other European countries, France is an increasingly ageing society, and nearly 27 million French consumers are now 50+.¹  Brands recognise 50+ adults as a valuable consumer base. However, Getty Images’ VisualGPS research shows that there is room for improvement in marketing to a 50+ audience.  
 
Last year, the reform about retirement opened a national discussion about ageing and what it looks like. The discussion has had an impact on the visual choices of our French customers, and the overall representation of 50+ demographic in visuals used by French brands has grown by 70%. In the last 12 months alone, visuals showing 50+ people at work were up by 11%.  
 
Yet, despite the “silver economy” headlines, age remains the most common reason people encounter discrimination in France and visibility gaps continue. Getty Images’ VisualGPS research reveals 4 in 10 French consumers never see advertising visuals showing 50+ people, while visuals showing 70+ people is invisible to 6 in 10 French consumers.

The visibility gap by numbers:

• 1 in 3 French consumers never see people over 50 in romantic relationships
• 1 in 3 never see 70+ as active member of their community
• 1 in 3 never see 70+ engaged with their families
• 1 in 3 never see adults of various ages, some older and some younger, together in social situations.

Ageing clichés in France
Getty Images’ VisualGPS research reveals a key visual language that is most associated with ageing: Retirement. Visuals most popular with our French customers show people aged 50+ in the ‘autumn’ of their life, walking through forest landscapes bathed in warm, golden hour light, meaning visual storytelling for people aged 50+ is limited when compared to younger generations. Young people are more likely to be seen in a wider variety of scenarios, with more emotional range and individuality.

However, according to our VisualGPS research, people feel closest to visual storytelling when it feels relatable and captures a variety of life experiences. This presents an untapped opportunity to tell more relatable and multi‑dimensional stories for this very varied age group.

Age at work
With campaigns like l’APEC’s² push for recognition of older workers’ experiences fuelling media conversations, visual depictions of age at work is changing. Five years ago, visuals most popular with Getty Images’ customers were portraits of people aged 50+ as leaders. Today’s work visuals are far more collaborative showing intergenerational teams working together. Emerging from the pandemic, this visual shift reflects non‑hierarchical and a wider variety of roles across organisations for older workers.

While a positive shift, over half (53%) of older job applicants have experienced age discrimination during the hiring process and a significant majority (71%) of respondents cite age as the primary obstacle to finding new employment.³ Moreover, 75% of HR professionals admit to favouring younger candidates.⁴  This means it’s even more crucial to tell more varied stories of age at work.
 

Life beyond milestones
What does success in life mean to today’s older French consumers? Having more time with family and loved ones. Yet, popular visuals show more materialistic milestone moments of ownership—from buying a house to renovation. But what about the little in‑between moments that count? When it comes to quality time with loved ones, there are significant visibility gaps.

Relationships of people aged 50+ is not a single story. Beyond French brands favouring visuals of nuclear families with young children, visuals showing extended family, grown‑up children, large groups of friends or social circles such as people socialising in a sports club or dating is rarely seen.

And when it comes to travel visuals, despite VisualGPS research revealing that French consumers want to see casual and affordable travel trips that are more real and relatable, people aged 50+ are most often shown in bucket‑list destinations, infinity pools or reaching mountain peaks. While depicting Gen X travellers as achievers is positive, it is also important to balance the aspirational storytelling with more relatability.

So how can you better visualise 50+ individuals for your next project?

• Show active social lives: One third of French consumers report rarely seeing various ages interacting in social setting. Consider visuals that don’t homogenise different age groups. Explore visuals that show multi‑aged social circles, leisure clubs, connecting over coffee at work.
• Wider personal relationships: Aside from showing grandparents with grandchildren, show people aged 50+ actively engaged with families and friends, in group pilates classes, in a coffee shop or on a romantic road trip.
• Age at work: When depicting business and working lives, consider the role of individuals aged 50+ in group settings. Are they leading the meeting or are they in a passive role? What types of jobs and professions are they being shown in?

Sources

[1] Institut Montaigne, Les Echos
[2] Stratégies
[3] PageGroupe et France Silver Eco
[4] Institut Français des Seniors