Let’s talk about something marketers love and customers quietly hate.
Age-based targeting.
Before anyone misreads this, let me be clear. I am a firm believer in smart targeting and personalised offers. We live in a world of smart data, algorithms, and platforms that know a lot about us, often more than we realise. That is the trade-off we have all accepted.
Fine. Cool. Mostly useful.
But there is a very real difference between covert customising and overt offending, and too many brands are crossing that line without even realising it.
Yesterday I was targeted on Facebook by a local physio business offering a “Free Stretch Session for Over 50s.”
Two things stopped me mid-scroll.
First, the headline (very loudly) told me how they were categorising me.
Second, the four images used in the ad featured people who looked well into their 60s, all with visible mobility issues.
Context matters.
When I saw the ad, I had just come off an 8km run and even though stretching was on my mind, ironically, the ad immediately alienated me.
Not only did it not land visually, the message didn’t feel relevant, helpful, or motivating. It felt reductive.
I think for the most part, I have an above-average relationship with turning 50. I actually love this stage of life but what I don’t love is the mismatched stereotypes I often feel bombarded with. Being over 50 is not a category. It is not a capability statement. And it is definitely not a single, uniform lifestyle.
And I know I’m not alone. Today’s 50-somethings are not packing up and moving into over-50s retirement villages or slowing down because a birthday ticked over.
They are running marathons. They are raising young families.
They are starting and building businesses. They are investing.
They are travelling, lifting heavy, learning new technology, and reinventing their careers.
And they expect brands to understand that reality and keep up.
When an ad says “this is for people like you” but shows a very outdated version of you that you do not recognise, trust erodes instantly.
Meta already knows my age. I know Meta knows my age. That part is not shocking to anyone.
What is jarring is being labelled out loud.
There is a reason the most effective age-based marketing does not explicitly say “Over 50s,” “Older Australians,” “Seniors,” or “Mature Age.”
Instead, it speaks to outcomes and aspirations. It talks about mobility, strength, longevity, performance, confidence, prevention, and staying active so you can keep doing what you love for longer.
That is covert customisation.
So here’s a simple rule for marketers … If you would not say it to someone’s face, do not put it in your headline.
You can absolutely target by age. Just do not announce it like a diagnosis.
And nothing damages a brand relationship faster than making someone feel older, weaker, or more limited than they believe themselves to be.
