Thanks for your response.

First, kudos for creating a really wonderful environment for seniors.
One of the best.

I responded to Alec’s comment from 20/20. It explains why I still feel the ad is confusing.

Just curious, how many residents do you have that are 55? And why should I be thinking about your facility as I near 55, and others in my life pass 55?

The ad fails to communicate any of the passion and caring you mention in your response, which I find strange.

I hope this doesn’t preclude me from being a resident down the road.

Frank

First of all, I’m happy someone is reading my rants. However, I didn’t know you created this ad. But that’s beside the point.

This is not a condescending toward the elderly. It is pro elderly sarcasm. Growing old is not a sensitive issue. It is a common place issue that everyone deals with daily. Not just someone who is 75. As you get old(er), you know it.

The point is, the headline of the ad is confusing, and I am looking for a reason for it.
All the positive things you say about the Villages in your response is true. But none of that is communicated in the ad.

To your point, 55 is not the typical age of a resident. Nor did the ad give me reason to believe anyone at The Villages is 55 or anything close to it. No bad taste here. Just a weird juxtaposition.

So I’m left to my own interpretation, which is usually sarcasm and cynicism, as I am close to reaching 55.

I know you do great work at 20/20, and the Villages, as I said in the review, is a wonderful place for its residents.

Frank

I must admit, from one cynic to another, I do see your points about this particular ad. The juxtaposition of our seniors and the “55″ headline could insinuate something for younger viewers that we did not intend to. There are people who come to The Villages in their 50s but that is not the typical age, nor who is featured in the pool. You are neglecting to consider that looking at the ad from the other side of 55, it’s a welcoming sentiment. Still, I understood your point, but I have to say your criticism’s tone is in poor taste.

The picture you are creating of aging and retirement living is exactly the stigma that The Villages’ brand and advertising campaign fights against. As you’ve demonstrated, we all have a fear of getting older and what that could imply. When we’re approaching middle age, we find it comforting to joke about someday being old because it makes it feel further away. The problem is, this mentality doesn’t wane no matter how old we get. Nobody thinks they’re old, including the people in the pool you mentioned.

This thinking is not without consequence. Because of this denial, people put off making health decisions until often it’s too late. “I’m not ready yet” is the most common feedback we hear from prospective residents who would truly benefit from independent living. Instead they stay at home, often alone, further declining until something catastrophic forces them to make a change. And then do you know the most common feedback The Villages hears? “I wish I’d done this when I was younger.”

We recognized this pattern and worked with The Villages to help prospective residents break a potentially detrimental cycle of thinking and broaden their perspective on retirement as they work toward an informed decision that’s right for them. As The Villages can attest, this approach has been critical to their success and the health and well being of their residents over the years.

For those who do come to The Villages when they can still enjoy it all, life really does get better for them, and we stand by that claim. They are engaged in constant activities, they make friends and socialize and they all say they feel younger. I have seen this first hand. The people are so happy and friendly and always engaged in something fun. So why wouldn’t someone want to move there at 55?

Is 55 the typical age of most residents? No, and that’s not who this ad is primarily geared toward. We’re speaking to seniors in life transition who might feel like they’re not quite old enough to move in. This ad lets them know they can feel at home at The Villages at any age and it is generating leads with our target audience. But there are plenty of people in their 50s and 60s who are less fortunate than us able bodied people and would greatly benefit from life at The Villages too. They need to know they have positive options. And what might keep them from living a more fulfilling life with the support they need? People who perpetuate stigmas and are terrified to be viewed as or seen with “old people.”

And as for those folks in the pool, one of them is a great guy named Duane. It might be helpful to watch him talk about his fears here:
http://thevillagesofslo.com/real-stories/index.php?id=4

Thanks for including our response with your critique,

Alec Ramsey
President/ Creative Director
20|20 Creative Group

The Villages of San Luis Obispo want to thank you for calling attention to our brand and advertising campaign. We hope to provide a little more information relating to our brand and the comments made on your blog.

Our brand is something we’re quite proud of. It is not a contrived, spun strategy; rather, we know our brand is a true, genuine manifestation of our care philosophy and our passion to help the senior community have the best quality of life possible. 20|20 Creative Group helped us unearth that authenticity and vibrancy in our current brand. Our approach is honest and ethical. Our brand demonstrates a healthy, balanced, responsible way to approach delicate issues of senior living. It’s our goal to help educate our community about what many are afraid to discuss. The Villages helps individuals make informed and healthy decisions when it is time to make a transition. Unfortunately, far too many of us have an unrealistic plan on how we envision our retirement years and aging itself.

It is far too common that today’s seniors become isolated, lonely and depressed when living alone in their home. For some, aging comes with challenges that make it difficult to get involved, have a sense of purpose and continue with cherished hobbies especially if the individual is no longer capable of driving. These type of limitations become heavy with new challenges. An enriched lifestyle becomes less accessible for seniors in their own homes. We are proud to see significant improvement in the quality of life for all our residents including our residents who are in their late 50’s.

Your reference to the really old people in our pool is disrespectful. The people in our pool are our residents not a stock photo. They are in their early 60’s and 70’s and their life has dramatically changed for the better since moving to our independent living community. Some of our current residents and family members who have a loved one residing here have come across your blog post and are disappointed and saddened that they have been judged in this manner. The use of derogatory comments about old people perpetuates the stigma we work so hard to prevent. Again, our marketing strategy is real life. In regards to your Memory Care comment, we feel it was hugely misguided. Our residents who reside at our memory care community range in age from 52 to 90. There is a huge stigma about dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease that unfortunately is misunderstood. Memory deficits can strike at any age, those as young as 35 have been diagnosed with early onset.

Not only do we believe in the brand, but it’s also been incredibly effective in connecting with seniors and their families. We’ve seen increased occupancy rates even considering our current economic climate. The brand has created an incredible atmosphere here at The Villages, inspiring our staff and residents as we help create a thriving community that we are extremely proud of. Even the ad called into question has generated significant response from prospective residents ready to move in. We understand our campaign might not apply to everyone, and that’s ok. We hope to get people thinking and talking about things that might otherwise be easy to make off handed comments about. This is why we stand behind our “55” ad.

We hope this insight helps educate you, and we hope to continue educating the community about what an aging population and their families face. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us for more information or come by for a tour.

Tara Malzone
Director, Community Relations
The Villages of San Luis Obispo