The country’s most popular black couple?
I was in Chicago last week judging the Mature Marketing Awards, a competition that recognizes the best in marketing to seniors. Crowley Webb has developed a niche in senior living branding and advertising, working with retirement communities across the country. At last years MMAs, Crowley Webb won nine awards for clients including United Methodist Homes, New Life Management, and Village Shalom. We hope to have another strong showing this year.
As I looked through the work, expectedly, I saw a lot of weak creative. The bar is pretty low in this category, with a lot of the work looking alike. It made me feel good about the senior work we are doing. Our creative is “not your same old” as we like to say in our presentations.
And then I saw them.
A happy retired black couple in a photograph on a brochure. The same photo we had used in one of our pieces. And there they were again, this time on a direct mail piece. The very same shot was used by multiple entrants in one show! I continued to see stock images I recognized throughout the show. The retired couple in the pool. The retired couple riding bikes. The retired couple gardening.
Right then and there I recommitted myself to using royalty free stock photography sparingly, if ever again, in senior marketing. The pickings are just too slim.
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