- Elaine Wong

Academy Awards viewers may have wondered why consumers in two AARP spots kept saying, “When I grow up.” (If you’re over 50, aren’t you already grown-up?) The ads, said AARP’s Emilio Pardo, actually kick off a new campaign that stresses that boomers (to borrow a phrase from Bye Bye Birdie) have “a lot of livin’ to do” and that 50 isn’t the end of youth. The strategy builds on a previous AARP campaign which showed children wishing they’d grow up faster so they can do the things that grown-ups do. “Now we flip it and say, ‘They’re not done growing up, and they want to continue to learn and discover’” new things, Pardo said. The evp and chief brand officer of the nonprofit organization—which boasts more than 40 million members—chatted with Brandweek about AARP’s first Oscars buy. Excerpts are below.


Brandweek: AARP is using the Oscars (which drew 36.3 million viewers last year) to launch a new campaign targeting boomers. What’s the creative strategy in a nutshell?
Emilio Pardo: This is a campaign that is in essence celebrating the fact that our members and the 50-plus population as a whole are not done having goals and dreams, and they’re still growing and discovering [themselves]. What found in our research is that our members tell us they have a great deal more to do and that they’re not done [living life] yet. One can argue that your best years are still ahead in this campaign. We’re using that emotional connection to launch this year’s brand and story campaign. We will evolve it through the year, and it’ll stay very focused. As you’ve seen in the ads, it’ll revolve around that ultimate question of, “What do I want to do next in today’s environment?”

BW: Why is this message relevant now?
EP: You have people that, because of the economy, are looking at their [lives] and focusing on redefining it. It’s not just, “I want to get a new job.” It’s having to get a different job or needing to aspire to something else. The purpose of the spots is to [communicate that] we want to help you find the next best step for you.

BW: This is the first time AARP has advertised during the Oscars. Why choose an event like the Oscars to kick off this ad campaign?
EP: We always come out with a new outreach campaign in the first quarter. [But this year] we’re very pleased with this particular show and the Barbara Walters special preceding it. It matched our demographic, the mix of the demographic, the age, and also, it’s a good, large audience. The other thing is, in our magazine, we have a very successful series called, “Movies for Grown-ups.” [Each year, AARP Magazine picks the best movies for the 50-plus audience. The winners are honored at an awards gala and in its special issue.] Our readers love that series, and so our [Oscars buy] also ties in with something we know our readers like.

BW: AARP’s mission is to “improve the quality of [the] lives” of people over age 50. How is this campaign, then, any different? And how did you come up with the insight for it?
EP: It’s an evolution of what we’ve done in the past. Several years ago, we launched a really effective campaign that [touted] the five core needs of our organization: the need for health, financial security, giving back, connecting [with loved ones] and having fun. We launched a campaign, called Future Champions, highlighting those needs. It showed kids talking about how they wished they [could grow up faster] so they can do the things that grown-ups do. So now, we flip it and say, “They are not done growing up, and they want to continue to learn and discover.” It focuses now on the “wants.” We knew we couldn’t [focus on] the needs and the wants at the same time, so we focused on the needs first. So now we need to get to the wants, but [we’re telling it] directly from the voice of the adults and flipping the grown-up concept around.

BW: So you’re putting a youthful spin on aging. Why do you think this message will resonate with boomers?
EP: This generation is at a moment in time where aspiration and setting goals so that you can live the rest of your life in the best way [possible] is a big issue. It means you’re not done at 50. Not only are you not done, but also the insights and experiences you gained throughout your life better prepare you to take the next step…[And] we felt that this was a moment in time where we can remind this generation that AARP can help them with that next step, whether it’s a travel discount or information on how to get through finances and healthcare issues in America. We’re there for you. The other part of this is, boomers are living longer. They may have an extra 19 years or so—they call that the “gift of longevity”—but they want to take those 19 years now. They don’t want to wait another 19 years. I [often] say, “Fifty is the new 50.” Fifty isn’t the new 30. We are redefining what 50 is, and that comes with the aspiration and belief that “I’m not done yet. I want to take advantage of my life. I want to move forward.”

BW: What are some common misconceptions about boomers?
EP: [One] misconception is that boomers aren’t online very much. Online communities are huge [among this group]—not just social networks, but “how to” information sites. Boomers are actually the fastest growing demographic online for Facebook and Twitter. The other myth I like to debunk is that boomers don’t change brands, which is not true. Boomers are always looking for the best value, and in fact, they go at it from a value perspective. They’re not brand loyalists. They’ll change with and travel with value, and marketers need to pay attention to that.