On Saturday 11 March 11, SunLife is launching its ‘Welcome to Life After 50’ campiagn. 

The multi-million pound campaign will run across TV and online, launching during the ad break for Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.

As well as talking to people in their 50s, 60s and 70s about their lives, SunLife has also undertaken ‘The Big 50’ research, where 50,000 people aged 50 and over were interviewed about their lifestyles, finances and attitudes.

SunLife’s CEO Dean Lamble says the campaign and Big 50 research are all part of SunLife’s plans to become the first choice for people over 50.

He said: “The growing over 50s sector is worth £320bn a year to the UK economy – yet they’re often neglected, with very few providers that offer truly competitive cover. There’s a huge opportunity for a brand that understands what people over 50 value and which represents them well.

“Our research shows that what they want more than anything from financial services are straightforward propositions so they can trust themselves to make the right choices – rather than needing to trust a company to tell them what to buy.”

He also says that as the population as a whole gets older, over 50s consumers will become even more significant.

“Over 50s make up a third of the UK population, but hold almost 80% of the wealth and consumer spending amongst over 50s has risen at 4.4% a year over the last decade, compared to just 1.2% for the under 50s. Yet three quarters of people over 50 say they never feature in mainstream advertising,” Lamble added.

“What’s more, seven in 10 say that the portrayal of their age group in the media is an outdated stereotype that they feel does not represent them.”