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.
根据坎迪斯-布什内尔（Candace Bushnell）的小说改编而成的这部剧，主创迈克尔-帕特里克-金（Michael Patrick King）和女主角莎拉-杰西卡-帕克（Sarah Jessica Parker）在开始创作时非常节俭，他们在旧货店和朋友的衣橱里搜罗那些标志性的造型，以塑造帕克扮演的角色的形象。
该剧在没有辜负剧名的时候，都是在餐厅、精品店、寻找房产的过程中进行的，偶尔也会在远离纽约市的旅行中进行--刷卡声可能就是背景音乐。卡莉和她的朋友们，也就是他们的观众，正处于 25-54 岁这一关键购买人群的中间位置，这对广告商来说是个黄金时段。
在 HBO 上播出意味着该剧可以自由发挥创意，而不必考虑广告商。但当该剧一炮而红后，联合播出也随之而来。此后，《SATC》拥有了大量的广播电视观众，设计师和品牌也纷纷加入。漂流变成了一种虚构的努力，而非制作的需要。
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.
资料来源
- 尼尔森 NPOWER、UE 和样本信息，过去 2 月 11 日的测量结果
- 尼尔森 NPOWER，P2+ 百分比，全美，2021 年 7 月 15 日
- 尼尔森 Scarborough USA+ 2020 发布 2；*Scarborough 调查对象为 18 岁以上成人
- 尼尔森 Scarborough USA+ 2021 年第 1 版；*Scarborough 调查对象为 18 岁以上成人
