Marginal Life after 49: A Preliminary Study of the Portrayal of Older People in Canadian Consumer Magazine Advertising

A content analysis of the national advertisements in the December 1990 editions of the ten largest circulating Canadian consumer magazines indicated that people from age 50 on were under- represented, especially women. There were no 65 and older age group and non-white representations at all. Compared with characters of the 18–49 age range, older characters were cast in less important roles, in lower-level occupations, as tending to stay at home, and being less physically active, reflecting negative stereotypic images in general. However, older characters were included in social and ‘transgenerational’ scenes and were used in advertisements promoting a variety of products and services.