Oldchella is a classic example of the Boomaissance: the marketing offensive to cater to the needs of the baby boomers rather than those of the smaller and poorer cohort of Gen Xers and millennials. “While the media remain smitten with millennials, it’s the boomers who control 70 percent of the disposable income in this country,” one analyst wrote. And if that weren’t enough, boomers are in the midst of receiving fifteen trillion dollars in inheritance from their departing parents. Advertisers and marketers are studying how to unlock that wealth, employing everything from easy-to-understand tutorials on how to navigate social media to larger fonts on paint cans.
We have a joke about cover bands for retirees: REO Speedeating; Counting Crow’s Feet. Turns out the joke is real.
Excerpt From: Darrell Bricker & John Ibbitson. “Empty Planet.” Crown, 2019–02–05. Apple Books.
