Two news stories in one here. It seems that the elder citizen is becoming more and more attractive to advertisers and manufacturers alike. Brand Republic and Marketing Week in the UK reported on tgi50, a new agency being set up by adland veteran Rob Campbell, which is focused specifically on marketing to over-50s.

Campbell, a founder of Rainey Kelly Campbell
Roalfe and the man behind a string of Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Mobile
ads, will co-manage with Toby
Constantine, former marketing director of The Times and The Sunday
Times, and no stranger to sales promotion and direct marketing.

From Marketing Weeks article: Campbell says: “I’m defining a new marketing sector which is
‘50-Just’ rather than ‘50-Plus’. What I’m creating is a conduit to
introduce contemporary brands to upmarket contemporary 50-year-olds.”

He believes many brands want a “below the radar” way of
communicating with 50-somethings, since their youth positioning can
suffer if they are seen by under 35s to be targeting older consumers.

“It
will be done via membership and we’ll give it away to people we want to
be members,” says Campbell. Invites could go out to the likes of
Madonna, Iggy Pop (61) and eventually to Bono (48 next week). Funding
for the venture is yet to be finalised and its launch could be six
months away, says Campbell.

Meanwhile, the BBC Technology news pages reported recently on Microsofts development of a senior-friendly PC, one which will have a simple interface and be aimed at older users.

Speaking at the National Digital Inclusion Conference in London,
Microsofts head of skills and economic affairs Stephen Uden laid out
the firms vision for closing the digital divide.

Reaching most of the final third will mean that we have to
throw out the rule book. We will only solve these issues by taking
risks and trying new things, he said.

Some of the projects we are working on will work. Others will fail, he said.

Seems like life begins at 50 for these marketers! If you want to keep track of whats goign on int he world of over-50s marketing, the Newshound has sniffed out a great blog that brings together articles from all over the web and beyond. Check it out:

50-plus Marketing