The Portrayal of Older Adults in Advertising: A Cross-National Review

Abstract

From a multi-national perspective, this chapter provides an overview of a number of research programs examining portrayals of older adults in advertising. The research described includes both quantitative and qualitative analyses of the place of older people in advertising, and the ways in which this is associated with older adults' place in society. This article is organized around three central themes: an overview of the major theoretical perspectives surrounding advertising and ageing, an overview of research conducted in the United States, Great Britain, Germany, China and India, and a final critique.