The Portrayal of Older Adults in Indian and U.S. Magazine Advertisements

This paper reports a content analysis of print advertisements from five popular magazines in the United States and five in India. Advertisements featuring older adults were examined to describe the nature of the portrayals. Older adults were shown to be presented in a relatively positive light in both cultures, that is, well groomed, active, healthy, and happy. However, older women were underrepresented in both cultures as compared with older men. Cultural differences were found in terms of the products with which older adult characters were associated, the types of magazines in which they were featured, and the physical and social settings in which they were shown. The results of the study are discussed in terms of theoretical and applied issues and suggestions for future research are provided.