For too long, brands have poured their energy, attention and innovation efforts into younger generations while ignoring the powerhouse right in front of them: the silver generation. For the first time in history, older generations are set to outnumber younger ones. But this is more than a demographic shift, it’s a cultural one. Today’s older adults are living longer, healthier and more purpose-driven lives. They’re not winding down, they’re reinventing what it means to age. And yet today, only a minority of marketing budgets are directed their way. Silvers aren’t just underserved, they’re often misunderstood.
This report dives into the new reality of ageing and the opportunity it presents for brands. Drawing on proprietary research across the UK, US and China, we unpack the stories, aspirations and unmet needs of this powerful cohort and show why brands must start innovating with them, not just for them. Because true innovation starts where others stop looking. Real opportunity lies in unmet needs. That means listening differently, understanding people as individuals shaped by motivations, social ties and cultural context. Designing for the overlooked doesn’t limit innovation. It supercharges it.
Methodology
The insights and innovation platforms in this report are shaped by our ‘Now-Wow-How’ approach, a framework that captures current realities, emerging opportunities and actionable strategies for brand innovation.
Throughout this report, global percentages are used for simplicity, these represent combined scores across the UK, US and China. While this offers a high level snapshot of the data, it should be interpreted with care. Cultural nuances, response styles and demographic differences can influence the results. Where relevant, we provide market-specific deep dives to contextualise the global picture. When we refer to ‘Silvers’ in this report, we mean people aged 50 and older.
Now
See beyond the here and now by levering existing data through AI
We tapped into existing research, social listening data and trend reports (such as our 2025 What Matters report) to create a foundation of knowledge.
Wow
Understand what will wow through groundbreaking human insights
We employed conversational AI research, live interviews and scanned fringe innovations at the edges of the market. On top of that we ran a survey in the UK, US and China with 900 consumers aged 50 and older to deepdive into this powerful consumer cohort.
How
Inspire the how by creating marketing outcomes with impact
We used AI-powered canvases and innovation tools. This resulted in focused platforms with strong consumer appeal and clear development paths, supported by sacrificial concepts that explore multiple solution routes. As part of our research, we developed five distinct personas and brought them to life through AI avatars.