The character of Carrie Bradshaw made her debut on HBO as the lead of Sex and the City (SATC) in 1998 at the age of 33. For six seasons, SATC became a kind of secret roadmap for those looking for love, those starting out or starting over, the cool kids wanting the latest look and anyone who just wanted a fabulous life in what many believe is the greatest city in the world.
Lo showrunner e creatore Michael Patrick King e l'attrice protagonista Sarah Jessica Parker hanno iniziato la loro piccola impresa, basata sul romanzo di Candace Bushnell, con pochi soldi, setacciando i negozi dell'usato e gli armadi degli amici per trovare i look iconici che hanno definito l'immagine del personaggio della Parker, una giornalista sexy che spendeva una quantità sproporzionata dei suoi stipendi in scarpe: lo shopping è lo sport di Bradshaw, e lei è una campionessa.
L'azione dello show, quando non era all'altezza del titolo, si svolgeva nei ristoranti, nelle boutique, nella ricerca di immobili e, occasionalmente, nei viaggi lontano da New York: lo strisciare delle carte di credito avrebbe potuto essere la colonna sonora. Carrie e i suoi amici, e così via - il loro pubblico - si trovavano nel bel mezzo della fascia demografica chiave 25-54 - un'area d'oro per gli inserzionisti.
La presenza sulla HBO significava che lo show era libero di esplorare creativamente ciò che voleva senza dover tenere conto degli inserzionisti. Ma quando lo show è diventato un successo, è arrivata la syndication. In seguito, SATC ha trovato un enorme pubblico televisivo, e stilisti e marchi si sono accaparrati la scena. Il furto è diventato uno sforzo narrativo, non una necessità produttiva.
Nearly 18 years after Carrie and friends closed out their final season, HBO rebooted SATCthis past December with And Just Like That-where the characters picked up their storylines in real time. Everyone has aged (magnificently) and matured into the next chapter of their lives. Our dear iconic Carrie, who graduated at the end of SATC from her one-bedroom/one-bath walk-up, where the stove doubled as extra sweater storage, to her penthouse with a closet the size of many Manhattan living rooms, has now, at the age of 55, also graduated out of the key demo of 25-54. Does that mean that advertisers should give the cold shoulder to the darling of designers?
In the 10 years between 2011 and 2021, the 55+ segment of the population grew 14.74%, while two cuts of the key demo shrank: persons 35-49 decreased by 4% and persons 50-54 decreased by 9%1. Expanding that key demo to persons 25-64 would incorporate Carrie, half of the Baby Boomer segment, and all of Gen X2.
Carrie’s credit card still sings, and loudly, as demonstrated in the current 10 episodes of shopping, restaurants and real estate. Likewise, the buying power of the 55-64 segment is strong; this group outspends younger demos on new vehicles3 and in many other key categories, because, to riff off of Carrie herself, “Enjoy yourself! That’s what your 20s are for. Your 30s are to learn the lessons. Your 40s are to pay for the drinks.” I say, your 50s and 60s are to buy what you want.
The 55-64 age segment, in fact, spends more on several key home improvement categories, including pools, bathrooms, kitchens, siding and the not-so-sexy but let’s-face-it-gotta-have-it HVAC categories. Looking at net worth, the trend is clear: 55-64 is the age break with the money to spend. In a 2021 survey4, household net worth broken out by age rose from $380,000 for persons 25-34 to $450,000 for persons 35-54 to $504,000 for persons 55-64.
If the past informs the present, And Just Like That could have a second and extended life in the syndication world that could mean an even larger broadcast audience. While broadcasters have already made the case for adoption of the extended demo, our data shows that if you don’t include the 55-64-year-old set as a buying target, you may miss a big opportunity. No doubt advertisers are already paying attention to the aging population trend which necessitates keeping up with consumers, consumer spending habits and audiences. And just as the creative world adapts and expands to an aging audience, so should the key demo.
This article originally appeared on Broadcasting + Cable.
Fonti
- Nielsen NPOWER, informazioni su UE e campioni, misurazioni dell'11 febbraio scorso
- Nielsen NPOWER, % di P2+, totale Stati Uniti, 15 luglio 2021
- Nielsen Scarborough USA+ 2020 Release 2; *Scarborough misura gli adulti di età superiore ai 18 anni
- Nielsen Scarborough USA+ 2021 Release 1; *Scarborough misura gli adulti dai 18 anni in su.
