In 2019, 3rdThird Marketing was tapped twice as a thought leader on ageist images in advertising in two different national articles for The New York Times and CBS News Online.

It is no surprise. As ageism becomes a more significant topic in the public sphere, and more and more older adults experience the impact of ageism, reporters must find credible sources to comment on negative biases while highlighting positive solutions to help combat ageism.

Since its inception in 2010, 3rdThird Marketing has always been a strong advocate in creating original photography and using imagery that avoids the stereotypical “care stories” prevalent in many communications aimed at those 55 or older.

While thoughtful imagery prevents adding to the problem of agism, being on the right side of this issue is also an intelligent move for communities for financial reasons. When prospects are turned off by ageist content, it goes without saying that they are less likely to be interested in what the advertiser is offering.

While we recommend you read each article yourself, here’s a quick snippet from each one.

“Older Americans Are Half the Country, but Seldom Seen in Online Ads,” CBS News Online, Sept. 25, 2019

From the article, “Cynthia Cruver, a partner at 3rdThird Marketing, an agency that specializes in reaching the 50-plus community, highlighted some of the negative effects of such ageism.”

“When the nuances are missed, and the images are misrepresenting people, it’s a knock on their self-esteem,” she said. “If you keep seeing imagery of yourself as an age group being not attractive, not strong, not active, it starts to weigh on your psyche, and it changes your self-esteem.”

“Older People Are Ignored and Distorted in Ageist Marketing, Report Finds,” New York Times, Aug. 5, 2019

“From the article, “Support for older advertising employees, such as the Society of Very Senior Creatives, has sprung up in recent years. The agency 3rdThird Marketing, which targets consumers in the latter portion of their lives, posted a photo this summer listing the ages of some of its employees (they ranged up to 58).”

The photo referenced in the article supports the online effort for people to embrace their age. The viral campaign uses the hashtag “#sayyourage” to dispel the concept that people must hide their age to stay relevant.

Update: 3rdThird Marketing has evolved into 3rdPlus. As a vision-driven company, 3rdPlus offers a holistic suite of products and services to help senior living communities live their mission at the highest level. Because when communities live their mission, seniors live their best lives. The company believes that ageism is also a quality of life issue that touches on enrichment programming, operations and healthcare services, dining issues, and marketing and sales.