Valerie Fried, 56, admits advertising aimed at her generation, whether it's music, the model's age or subject, gets her attention.
Some of it is a little insulting, some of it is rather humorous, and some of it resonates with a memory,” Fried said. "I'm not sure whether Led Zeppelin trying to sell me a Cadillac makes me want to buy a Cadillac. But listening to the song sure takes me back to a pleasant time and place.”
Dennis Hopper, wearing sunglasses and looking hip, strolls on a beach in a TV advertisement for a financial services company.
"Your generation (read baby boomers) is definitely not heading for Bingo Night,” Hopper pronounces on the voice-over. "There's no age limit on dreams,” he says, as lyrics to the classic rock song "Gimme Some Lovin',” ("I'm so glad we made it”) builds in the background of scenes showing active seniors.
If you were born between 1946 and 1964, you're hooked. Either Hopper, on a motorcycle in Easy Rider, resonates with you, or you're dancing to the lyrics in the kitchen scene of the "The Big Chill.”
Marketing to baby boomers is big business these days. At 78 million — or a quarter of the population — boomers account for up to 58 percent of purchases in the consumer product and service categories, studies show. Their spending power alone is more than $2 trillion a year.
It's no wonder Carnival Cruises used the Rolling Stones to sell cruises, or General Motors Corp. tapped Led Zeppelin to sell Cadillacs.
Mallery Nagle, a boomer tail-ender who teaches advertising at the University of Central Oklahoma, points out the phenomena to her students.
"In the '70s, I'd never in my wildest dreams tie Led Zeppelin to Cadillacs,” Nagle said. "My father wouldn't let us watch the Monkeys because they had long hair.”
The music of the '60s and '70s is a natural draw for boomers, said Sybil Overstreet, sales manager of KOMA 92.5FM classic rock radio station.
"Baby boomers may be 55, but they tend to think they're 30,” Overstreet said. "Listening to oldies takes them back to a time when life was fun and they feel good about,” she said. "Woodstock and ‘make love, not war;' tie dye, love beads and Laugh-In TV show.”
The station's advertisers sell products important to baby boomers, including Healthy Incentives/Ultra 90, Cedar Valley and Cimarron National Golf Clubs, Worry-Free Vacations and Quail Ridge Assisted Living.
"When we're targeting advertisers, we think about the whole gamut,” Overstreet said.
For example, boomers may be thinking about cars not only for themselves, but also for their high school or college students, she said.
They may not need orthodontics, but they could be paying for braces for their grandchildren.
Blogger Maureen Rogers of www.opinion atedmarketers.blogspot.com believes boomers share four characteristics: they're nostalgic, care about the future, know they've done well, and want to continue to look good and be active.
Barbara Teague, owner of Club 50 Fitness Center at 3329 S Boulevard in Edmond, taps into those commonalties.
To attract customers 50 and older, she offers hydraulic resistance equipment, which supposedly is easier on joints, and plays nostalgic music.
"My members aren't interested in working out in the big gyms, with loud music and next to nice bodies,” Teague said. But, they are interested in maintaining their muscle tone and mental alertness, she said.
The franchise, which opened in November, has about 60 members, ages 48 to 82.
Apparel companies, such as
