Baby Boomer Insights

Boomer Pierce Brosnan finds mid-life liberating: out of the tux and into the spandex

When I picked up the paper from the driveway the morning, one of the first things I noticed was a promo for today's Parade Magazine. It said Pierce Brosnan had been dumped as James Bond, agent 007 for being "too old."

"That can't be!" I declared to myself. "He's not much older than I am!" (Just as quickly, I felt ashamed for thinking that I could see why a 50-something Bond woman probably wouldn't do, but that was different.) How is it possible Pierce Brosnan, at 55, is too old to play Bond? As far as I'm concerned, he's just getting old enough. I had always assumed he decided to quit playing Bond because he tired of the role.

Anyway, I made my way to the article on Brosnan, whom I consider one of the most handsome men in Hollywood. I've had a crush on him since he was Remington Steele in the 80's. Sure enough, there was his gorgeous face on the cover of Parade, and on the inside was an article in which he described his shock and disappointment over being told the Bond movie roles were going to a younger man, Daniel Craig. (BTW, I saw Craig as Bond and he didn't even come close to filling those big shoes, in my opinion. "Bond, James Bond," just shouldn't come from the mouth of a blond surfer dude.)

It's the rest of the article that bears the most attention, though. Brosnan talks about his willingness to try something different, to get out of the tuxedo and into bad clothes and platform shoes to play a role in the upcoming film version of Mama Mia! He sings! He dances! He acts goofy! And he loved doing it.

"You have to be able to make fun of your own dignity. You've got to let the movie make fun of your dignity. To let it rip is brilliantly exhilarating," declares Brosnan.

He's onto something. Research shows that Boomers like Brosnan are willing to try new things, seek adventure and not care much about what other people think. After all, according to the Edelman/Strategy One Boomer Insights Study, boomers don't even think someone is old until they're 74. And 75 percent of them feel no pressure to be or act a certain way. Another 88 percent said that doing new things "makes me feel good about myself."

Despite the fact that Mama Mia! is based on the music of ABBA, I'll go see it, just to see Brosnan in this unexpected role.

Meanwhile, I'd love to know if you boomers agree with Brosnan that mid-life is very liberating and something to be celebrated?

Sex and the City movie furthers the notion that gray is the new black

My almost-19-year-old daughter, Sydney, and I went to see the Sex and the City movie last night. When it was a TV series I watched it only on occasion and was never a big fan. But I knew it would be all the rage at the water cooler this week and I wanted to know enough to talk about it.

The first observation I made was that the audience was 90% boomer women. They clapped, laughed heartily, and squealed like the delighted girlfriends they were. Clearly, this crowd loved catching up on the foursome that made TV history talking about things women supposedly really talk about when they're together, out of the earshot of men.

While it was incredibly predictable, even to someone not intimately familiar with the characters, I found it pretty enjoyable nonetheless. I liked that three of the four women characters - Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte are in their 40s  - and Samantha is 50, yet they were portrayed as still stylish, full of life and still interested in talking to death various angles of relationships. The underlying theme of the movie was about forgiveness, something one typically understands and knows more about in her 40s and 50s, for sure. I loved that the actresses were playing their "real" ages and it seemed perfectly natural for them to have many of the same interests in "mid-life" as they did in their 20s and 30s.

In a way, this movie is a continuation of the "gray as the new black" phenomenon we've seen sweeping the country recently. From  "Cougars 4 Cook" on American Idol, to Dancing With the Stars having a devoted boomer audience, to the top three movies featuring "mature" actors (Harrison Ford in the new Indiana Jones movie, Robert Downey Jr. in "IronMan") Boomers are redefining what makes good pop culture. Just as we wanted all the focus on us when we were twenty-something, now we want it on us despite having a little gray around the temples.

Even Neil Diamond has made a big comeback after appearing on American Idol recently. (BTW, I got his new album for Mothers Day and just love it!) And Lord knows we're not done yet hearing all about Madonna turning 50 this year. In other words, Boomers are showing up everywhere, even in places traditionally thought to belong to the "young people."

(It says something, dontcha think when you have to insert a twenty-something star like Jennifer Hudson into the Sex and the City movie to help make it more relevant for that age group!)

Advertisers and marketers need to pay attention because Boomers are in the drivers' seat again, proclaiming what they believe is sexy and sellable. We see ourselves as younger than we really are and we want to remain vital (not necessarily young) for a long time yet, so we'll plop down our dollars if we believe you embrace us.

The Bucket List: Boomers make them, live them

I saw "The Bucket List" this weekend and absolutely loved it! I went into it not certain it would be particularly entertaining, since - for the most part - critics panned it.

In case you aren't familiar with it, the premise is that two men, Carter (played by Morgan Freeman) and Edward (played by Jack Nicholson) are roommates in a hospital owned by Edward. Soon, they both learn they have terminal cancer, so they bust out of the hospital to fulfill the things on their "bucket list," a list of things they want to do before they "kick the bucket." It includes things as daring as skydiving and race car driving, to seemingly the impossible: to kiss the most beautiful girl in the world. The movie isn't even so much about crossing things off the list as it is about considering the very notion that sometimes it takes facing dying to really start living.

The critics noted that boomers were the audience for the movie, apparently believing that it reflects our own attitudes about trying to cheat death somehow. That kind of thinking just misses the mark. Boomers aren't so determined to live an unprecedented number of years. Boomers just want more life in whatever number of years we have.

So it really isn't so hard to imagine that we're big on having adventures. Need proof? Consider this: people 50+ spend an average of $30 billion a year on vacation travel. We want to see the world, but we want to do it on our own agenda.  That's one reason companies  are following the lead set by Elderhostel over 30 years ago to specialize in helping Boomers put together great adventures and vacations. This great site is a leading authority on matching Boomers with unprecedented travel opportunities.

To my way of thinking, this movie isn't so much about trying to pack a lot in before dying. Rather, it's about giving yourself permission to truly live life fully.  It's about taking control, taking action and taking responsibility. Perhaps we can all learn a lesson from this: the best way to plan the end is to create a new beginning.

So, check it out, then make your own "bucket list," and revel in your boomerhood!

How Toronto pulled off being a model for the latest trend in travel: multiple generations headed in the same direction

I just got home from four glorious days at the Toronto International Film Festival, where I had the time of my life in what I consider one of the friendliest and prettiest cities I've ever visited. There were celebrities galore, of course, and a feast of over 300 films to choose from. But, as they say on cheesy infommercials, "Wait! That's not all!"

I also got to see a perfect example of a destination that understands how to create an environment that encourages multi-generational travel. There was something for everyone. Visitors could choose any number of films, based on type, director, country of origin, specific actor(s), time available, you name it. Perhaps you've heard that there were many political, dark and very provocative films debuted at this event. But don't be mislead - kids were a part of the scene as well.  There was an entire set of films representing the best in children's cinema.

Meanwhile, down by the harbour was a big music festival featuring all kinds of bands (again, some well known and some you may never have heard of). Even the vegetarians were welcomed with their own event.

So in one weekend, you could go to one city and enjoy everything from serious films to silly street performances to loud music and good food (assuming, of course, you think vegetables fall in to the "good food" category). It's as if Toronto decided it wanted to model the latest trend in travel - multiple generations traveling together. Boomers were everywhere, but so were their Gen X children, with the Gen Y children in tow.

Already, the Toronto International Film Festival is considered among the top two such events in the world, and I believe one of the reasons it has earned that title is because organizers so warmly embrace diverse groups of people and they understand that what happens outside the theater can shape opinions on what happens inside.

So, whether you go to star-gaze, study cinematography, see the town, or just absorb the city's wonderful culture, you can't help but walk away satisfied. In other words, no event was attempting to siphon off customers of another event; on the contrary, they seemed to all blend together.And by the way, I can't even imagine another place or environment where word-of-mouth is so encouraged or facilitated.

The lesson marketers can take away from all this is simple, really: don't be myopic. Rather than working so hard to make your event stand out, look for ways to bring together multiple events that increase the likelihood that you'll positively affect attendance across multiple age groups; otherwise, when the "rising tide lifts all boats," you'll be standing on the dock wondering how your boat ended up under water.

Looking for a Boomer? Try You Tube

Lately, I've notice a huge increase in the number of vintage videos being put on You Tube. Many of these videos are put there by Boomers who want to share with others everything from favorite old commercials to vintage risque pin up girls. Some of the videos have been watched hundreds of thousands of times.

Marketers who think Boomers are technophobes or just not interested in the online world are mistaken. On the contrary, Boomers are among the fastest growing segment of online users. Sites like You Tube have captured our attention because they're fun, easy to use and enable us to make connections with people who share our interests. 

For months, we've been hearing about how new alternative rock bands are building fan bases using You Tube. Now we're starting to see old jazz bands and scat singers get attention from Boomers who want to introduce them to a whole new generation while reminding one another of "the good old days." (My personal favorites are the old Sesame Street clips. My daughter and  I used to watch that show daily in the mid-80's.)

You Tube and Video Jug are also great places for Boomers to share knowledge, to create legacies and to communicate with old friends and family around the world. 

Marketers who want to reach Boomers would do well to consider ways to translate their messages to video and post them on the Internet. Remember, we not only troll sites looking for information, we love to share things we find that are interesting.