Watchdog Says Older Audiences ‘Deserve Respect’ in Ads After Report Criticises Ageist Portrayals

Campaigners said older people are underrepresented in ads, but when they are featured, they are often depicted in ways that reinforce negative stereotypes.

A person browses a television menu showing icons for streaming services Netflix and Amazon Prime in a photo illustration made in Toronto on March 22, 2024. The Canadian Press/Giordano Ciampini

The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP), the body responsible for writing the UK advertising code, said on Thursday that older audiences “deserve respect in ads” and advised advertisers to avoid ageist content.

CAP issued the advisory after its sister organisation, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), released a study on 19 June which found that older people felt “invisible” in mainstream advertising and were often reduced to stereotypes.