Age UK, the charity, has teamed up with creative agency Neverland to drive a national conversation about how we treat older people.

The campaign is part of a new brand strategy for the charity called ‘Let’s change how we age’. The work tackles ageism by advocating for greater support, resources, and equality for older people.

According to Age UK 1.9 million older people currently live in poverty. A stat which makes social change vital The campaign seeks support for the charity, while also starting a thought provoking discussion about how we see and treat our older population.

The campaign features a short film from Oscar winning director, James March, who directed The Theory of Everything. In this hero video, we follow actor Richard Durden as he drives home a thought-provoking message, using art as a signifier.

Durden asks: “Why do we value old objects over older people?”, referencing old artworks. He makes the point that artwork damaged by soup thrown by protestors makes front-page news, but a pensioner who cannot afford to buy a can of soup is a different story.

Durden drives home Age UK’s mission of encouraging society to treat older people better and as a result: ‘Change how we age.’

The film was produced by Magna Studios, and the campaign will extend beyond it. Running across TV, video on demand, cinema, social, out of home and influencer marketing. Media was planned and bought by MG OMD.

Out of home takes the form of three posters. These show portraits of older people in a gallery being viewed and AI-generation paintings depicting older people facing financial challenges and struggling with issues like isolation. The images were shot by James Day and the AI paintings were produced by Neverland.

These posters feature in key spots, in close proximity to over 40 museums across the country. Including: the V&A Museum of Childhood, the Design Museum, the Migration Museum, The Portico Library, the Reading Museum, the Stevenage Museum and the Classic Boat Museum. These span from London to Manchester to The Isle of Wight.

AI paintings form part of an influencer partnership with @thefineartcollective, an account which reviews artworks. The campaign will have the account begin to review the art as if it were from the archives, before revealing its true origins.

Paul Farmer, CEO of Age UK, said: “We cannot continue to ignore the fact that our population is aging and aging faster than the resources available for the support this requires”.

He continued: “We need to face up to the reluctance of many to talk about, or prepare for, the implications of getting older. We quite simply have to change the way we think about age or risk being totally unprepared for the shape of our society and economy in a few years' time”.

A powerful campaign with an important message, ‘Let’s change how we age’ encourages social discussion and advocates for both changing attitudes and changing social policies. The spot uses striking messaging and imagery to highlight how vital Age UK’s work is, successfully sparking a much-needed conversation.