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Retirement living and aged care companies are shifting the stereotype of aging Australians and putting them at the forefront of their marketing.
Through campaigns by Levande, Opal HealthCare and HammondCare, aging Australians and their carers can understand the support options available to them, from residential, short-term or home care.
“It’s about empathising with older people and with those who care about them, depicting scenarios and emotions they recognise and demonstrating how HammondCare can step in to support them,” HammondCare head of communications Kelvin Bissett told AdNews.
Levande’s ‘Everyday Exceptional’ campaign aims to break retirement living stereotypes, putting aging Australians at the forefront of their own decisions.
It was created by 303 Mullenlowe Sydney with a production that took nine weeks and a rollout of six months.
303 Mullenlowe Sydney chief strategy officer Jody Elston said that retirement has clearly moved on in culture yet retirement living advertising is still riddled with the same cliches.
“A cultural fear of ageing in retirement communities and its association with restriction and winding down was a strategic challenge identified early in the planning process and ultimately addressed in the campaign,” Elston said.
“People do experience loss aversion to the home and life they have now, which can be a barrier to overcome.
“It was important to reframe this next stage of life to be focused on the benefits of adaptation, and an acceptance that there is still so much good to come.”
Part of targeting aging Australians was ensuring that they were treated as humans, going against stereotypes.
“Representing older Australians authentically as smart, slightly rebellious and ultimately free to live their best life was important for an audience that is too often ignored or stereotyped, particularly older women,” Elston said.
“This is a category ripe for disruption. The stigmas and stereotypes associated with retirement living communities can hold back consideration which narrows the in-market audience."
Nearly half of all Australians older than 70 have their happiest life experiences after 50, according to a research report from Australian Seniors called ‘The Gen Seen Report.’
Elston said it's ordinary experiences that make us happier as we get older and develop a greater appreciation for living in the moment.
“We wanted to represent happiness at Levande not as an end-state, but a decision you make every day to be present and appreciate the little things.”
Opal HealthCare's 'Find your Community' campaign aims to view residential aged care as a means of enriching ones quality of life.
Awaken creative lead Amelia Morgan said that Opal HealthCare’s aim was to create something that cut through the noise and portrayed residents as individuals with passions, personalities and purpose.
“The campaign highlights what is a real and very serious social issue - the epidemic of loneliness and isolation affecting many older Australians who are living alone as they age," Morgan said.
“It challenges outdated perceptions of aged care, particularly among adult children exploring options for their ageing parents.
“The goal was to replace guilt and reluctance with connection and hope and to remind people that their loved ones can continue to live with meaning, purpose and joy in aged care."
The production ran for two days, dedicated to the Opal HealthCare community and the ‘before’ moments at home.
“We were very conscious of the residents' comfort and routines, making sure we caused as little disruption as possible. Anyone featured in the campaign chose to be involved and had given written consent beforehand," Morgan said.
“It was important to us that the process was respectful, collaborative and enjoyable."
Morgan said that the old narrative of aged-care is outdated, unfair and shouldn't be associated with guilt.
"Aged Care is a lifeline for many and there shouldn't be any guilt associated with that.
"There’s still a huge perception gap and many people equate aged care with loss of independence, isolation or decline. But the right environment can offer connection, safety, joy and purpose.
“For families navigating these decisions, a better representation helps to encourage conversations, reduce stigma and feelings of guilt and ultimately helps people make more informed, positive choices.
“It’s not just about making aged care appealing, it’s about validating their feelings, demonstrating the benefits of connections as we age and giving people real reasons to feel hopeful."
HammondCare’s ‘We Do’ campaign looks at understanding the growing needs of aging Australians, and how they can be supported using home care packages.
The campaign was created in-house in 6 months and was presented across Tv, OOH and digital media.
"These days there are more older people at home receiving a Home Care Package, soon to be Support at Home packages, than people living in residential aged care,” Kelvin Bissett said.
“There’s an incredibly wide spectrum of care needs among older people in Australia, ranging from just a little help around the house to much more complex health needs and circumstances.
“For those facing the realities of these complex needs, it can feel like there is no one who can help, and no one they can turn to.
"HammondCare aims to be the one they turn to. We want to say it’s okay if you don’t know what to do, because we do.
The campaign wishes to de-stigmatise the fears around at-home care.
“As they see their loved one’s health deteriorate, or as dementia behaviours emerge, or when a doctor suggests palliative care, these people can feel overwhelmed and ill-equipped to look after the older person in their life," Bissett said.
“It’s about helping those people feel seen and demonstrating that the team at HammondCare know what they’re going through and know how to help.”
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