Fashion retailer JD Williams is flipping the script on stereotypes surrounding women and ageing in a bold new campaign launched this week.
Created by London agency House 337, ‘Feeling more girlfriend than grandma’ kicks-off JD Williams’ spring/summer season by challenging negative assumptions around how women should dress and behave after 40.
The campaign instead celebrates getting older and looks to empower women in middle age by featuring a range of 40 year old+ models flaunting their vibrant wardrobes.
“We’re delighted to present a campaign that truly demonstrates our commitment to midlife women,” JD Williams head of brand marketing, Esme Stone said.
“Together with House 337, we have developed a platform that allows us to speak to our style conscious audience in a way that resonates with her and her life stage. We’re excited for what lies ahead for our brand, and for our customers.”
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With media planning and buying handled by the 7stars, the campaign will run across TV, broadcaster video-on-demand, out-of-home, radio, social and display until the end of June.
House 337 executive creative director, Zara Ineson added: “Why does society think men are allowed to get old, and yet seemingly women are not?
“We owe it to ourselves to make every age a wonderful, exciting prospect, right? Advertising has misrepresented midlife for too long: showing extremes, labelling it as menopausal or simply ignoring it altogether.
She continued: “We’re doing ourselves a disservice if we keep hiding from reality and overlooking middle-aged women. This is just the start of a long-term commitment from JD Williams to champion womanhood as multifaceted and awesome, embracing everything she is. Because it’s about bloody time someone reframes and reclaims midlife.”
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In one way I love the ethos of this campaign and in another way I don’t. I speak as a woman in my late 50’s so do feel qualified to comment. Yes, I love the vibrancy and positive message it brings, but midlife does “change” a woman make no mistake. I guess from an advertising point of view, it is hard to strike a balance. There is a an implication that everything is just the same as before, when it isn’t. For example I am no longer the same size. I was once a size 10, now I am a 14. Classic middle aged spread. My diet isn’t different and I exercise regularly. But yes, I still enjoy fashion. Partying till 4am in the morning is not really an option for me either. I used to do it three or four times a week in the old days. Now, I think it would finish me off. Sexually the desire for rampant all night action is gone, to be replaced by the desire for something gentler, more genuine and romantic. The “rumours” thing irked slightly, because they are in fact uncomfortable truths younger women would rather not confront. However, there are positives. Not the kind that would work in advertisements of course – wisdom, self acceptance and the ability to not always judge a book by its cover. Sadly that is the way society judges women. And I am not sure that these advertisements help this cause.