- Majority of Aussie consumers say advertisers are too obsessed with images of youth
- Around one in four Aussies (24%) would consider cosmetic surgery to improve their appearance when they are older – only one percentage point lower than the US
4 December 2006
Sydney
Advertisers listen up! The general concensus in Australia is that advertisers have too strong an emphasis with images of youth. Over four in five (83%) Australian consumers agree that advertising today is too obsessed with images promoting youth – six percentage points higher than the global average and eight percentage points higher than the Asia-Pacific average.
These are the findings from the latest global study by leading market information company ACNielsen. Released today, ACNielsen’s Global Online Omnibus compiled the views of approximately 22,780 consumers in 41 countries and covered such areas as ageing, cosmetic surgery and youth advertising.
As many as nine in 10 (89%) Aussies aged 45 to 49 agree that advertising is too obsessed with images of youth, while two in three (66%) consumers aged 18 to 20 agreed. Overall, 87 percent of Australian females agreed that advertising was too youth oriented compared to 79 percent of their male counterparts (Refer to Chart 1).
“The strong focus on youth oriented advertising may be due to younger consumers being seen as early adopters when it comes to new products,” states Peter Matthew, Associate Director, Media, ACNielsen Australia. “We are however seeing advertisers use celebrities who are realistic role models for the maturer demographic, and can credibly endorse products designed for this market. A recent example is Jane Fonda being the face of L’Oreal’s anti-ageing campaign.”
So does youth oriented advertising have any influence on youths’ perceptions towards cosmetic surgery? Despite the majority of Australians saying advertising is too obsessed with images of youth, almost one in four (24%) said they would consider cosmetic surgery when they’re older – four percentage points higher than the global average and only one percentage point lower than the US.
Not surpisingly, this was heavily skewed towards females with almost a third (32%) claiming they would undergo surgery to enhance their appearance, compared to just 16 percent of Aussie males.
When the respondents were broken down by age group, over two in five (41%) consumers aged 18 to 20 agreed that they would consider surgery at a later date – the highest in that age group throughout the whole of Asia Pacific (but on par with New Zealand) and higher than all other age groups. The 30 to 34 age bracket came in second with 36 percent (Refer to chart 2).
“It indicates that the younger consumers aged 18 to 20 may be unduly influenced by the impact of youth advertising,” comments Matthew. “Our findings suggest that perhaps there may be a correlation between advertising and how it impacts the way youths perceive themselves.”
Chart 1:
Advertising today is too obsessed with images of youth?
Chart 2:
I would consider cosmetic surgery when I’m older?
Click here to download the Global ACNielsen Report on consumer attitudes towards ageing.
The ACNielsen Online Consumer Confidence and Opinions Survey is the largest half-yearly survey of its kind aiming at gauging current confidence levels, spending habits/intentions and current major concerns of consumers across the globe. The ACNielsen Consumer Confidence Index is developed based on consumers’ confidence in the job market, status of their personal finance and their readiness to spend. The latest survey, conducted in late May/early June 2006, polled around 22,780 Internet users in 41 markets from Europe, Asia Pacific, North America to the Baltics.
About ACNielsen
ACNielsen, a VNU business, is the world’s leading marketing information company. Offering services in more than 100 countries, the company provides measurement and analysis of marketplace dynamics and consumer attitudes and behaviour. Clients rely on ACNielsen’s market research, proprietary products, analytical tools and professional service to understand competitive performance, to uncover new opportunities and to raise the profitability of their marketing and sales campaigns.
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