This Prada Spring 2015 menswear campaign, which stars Ethan Hawke, deftly manages to position the brand as fitting both monied boomers as well as millennials.
While eagle-eyed movie fans will know that Hawke does not exactly fit into the boomer demographic based on his actual age, his high-profile roles in movies such as Before Midnight and Boyhood have made him a boomer father by association. This boomer image of Hawke -- who is still young enough to look great and retain his glamour -- has been smartly leveraged by Prada for this campaign.
What's brilliant about this campaign is that it manages to use a psuedo-boomer star figure alongside a trio of actors -- Miles Teller, Jack O'Connell and Ansel Elgort -- in their 20s, ensuring that boomers associate the brand with both maturity and youthfulness, while millennial consumers aren't alienated.
Dapper Boomer Menswear Ads
The Prada Spring Summer 2015 Ad Features Pseudo-Boomer Ethan Hawke
Trend Themes
1. Multigenerational Marketing - Opportunity for brands to appeal to both boomers and millennials by using a mix of age-diverse spokespeople in their campaigns.
2. Cross-generational Fashion - Emerging trend of fashion brands targeting different age groups simultaneously to expand their consumer base.
3. Age-inclusive Branding - Disruptive opportunity for companies to establish themselves as brands that cater to diverse age demographics, bridging the gap between boomers and millennials.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion - Fashion brands can leverage multigenerational marketing techniques to appeal to a broader range of consumers and establish a positive brand image among different age groups.
2. Marketing and Advertising - Marketing and advertising agencies can capitalize on the cross-generational fashion trend by helping brands develop campaigns that target multiple age demographics, creating a sense of inclusivity and relatability.
3. Media and Entertainment - Opportunity for media and entertainment companies to explore age-inclusive branding strategies, merging the appeal of older celebrities with the youthfulness of emerging stars to attract a wider audience and increase brand engagement.