Negative portrayals of senior citizens in magazine advertisements were found to be offensive by older Americans and college students, says a new study from Ball State University.

A survey of college students and senior citizens found the majority of both groups were offended by advertising stereotypes that portrayed older adults as being out of touch, unattractive and objects of ridicule.

Such negative portrayals could lead to a backlash against products featured in advertisements. Forty-five percent of students and 74 percent of seniors in the study would stop buying a brand because of offensive advertising.

"Advertisers should take heed and realize their marketing future may hinge on appealing to older demographics," said Robert Gustafson, who conducted the study with fellow Ball State journalism professor Mark Popovich and Tom Robinson, a journalism professor at Brigham Young University.

The study is a follow-up to their research in 2001 that found an overwhelming number of older adults would stop buying a particular brand featured in a "negative or offensive" advertisement.

The researchers pointed out people 65 and older are a growing market with the number of senior citizens expected to be 85 million by 2050, an increase of 225 percent from 2000.

There were 78 million Americans 50 or older in 2001 who controlled about 67 percent of the nation's wealth. Only 10 percent of advertising is designed to appeal to them.

The study also found:

• Seniors liked ads that showed older people as being clever, vibrant and having a sense of humor.
• Seven out of eight ads ranked as offensive by seniors were also listed as offensive by college students.
• Ads that portrayed older people respectfully and offered advice were viewed positively by both groups.

"Marketers should take notice that both seniors and college-age students are aware how often advertising stereotypes portray older adults inappropriately," Gustafson said. "Both groups believe these stereotypes are harmful by lowering seniors' self-esteem and creating negative perceptions of seniors among young people."

(Note to Editors: For more information, contactGustafson at bgustafs@bsu.edu or (765) 285-8737.)