Never Too Old: How China’s New-Gen Brands Are Challenging Ageism

In a fast-paced, youth-obsessed industry, local brands and shopping platforms have started to change the way older women are depicted. 

On March 9, Tmall’s official livestreaming account hosted a three-hour live shopping show during its evening prime time, as the platform does every day. But instead of featuring a group of mid-20s, fresh-faced models — the typical hosts for such livestreaming sessions — the show was presented by three women aged over 60.

Opening with a runway walk, the session then showed the three senior hosts sitting in a brightly colored studio, introducing audiences to a wide range of products including makeup, gadgets and healthcare items.

These three “silver-haired grandma hosts,” as Tmall referred to them in social media posts, were part of the platform’s social commerce initiative to recruit more senior live-streamers and diversify its streaming content.

Whether it’s senior livestream hosts on e-commerce platforms, product campaigns ditching airbrushed filters for older models, or images that better align with seniors’ contemporary lifestyles, content relating to mature consumers is on the rise across Chinese media.

For instance, in 2020, the megahit TV idol show Sisters Who Make Waves showcased performers aged over 35. And last year, Chinese tech giant Tencent launched a mini docuseries, I Want to Grow Old Like This, telling the stories of six senior influencers who started a second career late in life. Also, in October 2022, Tmall rolled out a pop-up initiative that paired senior content creators with Gen Z influencers to push fashion merchandise to consumers of all age groups. Continue to read the full article here