Retirement TV Commercials

[bradaz2488]

Is it just me or are the retirement commercials on TV starting to feed of peoples unrealistic dreams? It's staring to remind me of commercials before the 2000 market decline. You know the ones, retire and buy a wine vineyard in Napa, travel the world, turn your hobbies into a million dollar business.... I know these financial institutions need to attract customers back after the great recession, but it seems they are not being unrealistic for 99% of the population.. The circle of people I run with will be lucky to retire at age 65.... Just an observation.. I may just be syndical...

 

[MRG]

Yes seems odd. I guess they want your money. Or folks that are still afraid.
Its better than when they got into advertising drugs:

'You know we have more
Prescription drugs now
Every commercial that comes on TV
Is a prescription drug ad

I cant watch TV for four minutes
Without thinking
I have five serious diseases

Like, Do you ever wake up
Tired in the morning?
Oh, my God I have this, write this down
Whatever it is, I have it

Half the time you dont even know
What the commercial is
People running through fields
Or flying kites or swimming in the ocean
Im like that is the greatest disease ever
How do you get that?
That disease comes
With a hot chick and a puppy'.

From Lazyboy, caution his art is taste specific.
MRG

 

[bradaz2488]

The two "new" retirement commercials that sparked this memory for me was:

1) The guy that retire to open his flying training business.
2) Tommy Lee Jones talking about retirement. He loos like he is on a 1000 acre ranch in Montana... At least that was my takeaway...

 

[Chuckanut]

Those high fees charged by the investment firms will pretty much guarantee that most retired people who invest with them will not be buying a wine vineyard in NAPA, or traveling the world in luxury.

 

[Idnar7]

Former Senator/actor Fred Thompson doing ads for reverse mortgages. That's a hoot!

 

[aja8888]

Former Senator/actor Fred Thompson doing ads for reverse mortgages. That's a hoot!

I almost puked when I saw that for the first time. (didn't he try to run for President, too?)

I haven't seen the ING "What's your number?" ads for a while.

 

[bradaz2488]

I haven't seen the ING "What's your number?" ads for a while.

Good one.. I remember some of those "numbers" were well over a million even 2 million $.. I wonder if that was actually scaring people off?

 

[Calico]

Former Senator/actor Fred Thompson doing ads for reverse mortgages. That's a hoot!

Henry Winkler is now doing ads for reverse mortgages too. Disappointing - never thought the "Fonz" would sink to that to make a buck.

 

[Dawg52]

People running through fields
Or flying kites or swimming in the ocean
Im like that is the greatest disease ever
How do you get that?
That disease comes
With a hot chick and a puppy'.


MRG

I got the puppy but........

 

[Midpack]

Is it just me or are the retirement commercials on TV starting to feed of peoples unrealistic dreams? It's staring to remind me of commercials before the 2000 market decline. You know the ones, retire and buy a wine vineyard in Napa, travel the world, turn your hobbies into a million dollar business.... I know these financial institutions need to attract customers back after the great recession, but it seems they are not being unrealistic for 99% of the population.. The circle of people I run with will be lucky to retire at age 65.... Just an observation.. I may just be syndical...

It's not just you - but which industry runs ads that ARE realistic? Few if any that I can think of. The fundamental purpose of ads is to convince you to buy products & services - and planting unrealistic ideas in your head has proven to be the most effective way to do so, it works like a charm more often than not. Enlisting won't put you in fighter jet, a car won't improve your social status, underwear won't make you look like a supermodel, and Peyton Manning really doesn't care about your Papa John pizza order - the unrealistic images are endless! Even some that you laugh at can become effective through repetition or because your friends fall for it.

I suppose a "financial institution" could run an ad showing how really difficult it is to reach FI and how out of reach a comfortable retirement will be for many people - but I doubt it would have the desired effect/monetary return...

Realistic + commercials is an oxymoron.

 

[W2R]

Baby boomers are starting to retire, and businesses are trying to make a buck off of it.

Personally I am tired of it, too. The reverse mortgage ad is just sad! I am also getting pretty tired of the ads for adult diapers and incontinence medications, and drugs to make elderly men into sexual dynamos (probably much to the dismay of their wives).

 

[MichaelB]

probably much to the dismay of their wives

Now that would make a good commercial

 

[daylatedollarshort]

It's not just you - but which industry runs ads that ARE realistic? Few if any that I can think of. The fundamental purpose of ads is to convince you to buy products & services - and planting unrealistic ideas in your head has proven to be the most effective way to do so, it works like a charm more often than not.

We have saved a lot of money not watching ads and paying more attention to blogs and forums on sustainable living. Really most disposable and single use products, except for some paper goods like toilet paper, can be replaced with reuseable counterparts that are less expensive over the long run.

I have been reviewing how we use every ziploc, paper bag, napkin, light bulb, water bottle, steel wool pad, single use battery, hand soap pump, etc. to find a longer lasting replacement. And for cleaning products, a few natural items including vinegar, baking soda and course salt, bought in bulk from Costco, have replaced the expensive and toxic chemicals we used to use.

For fun we have realized there are many cool free or tax payer supported events at our local parks and libraries. The inexpensive stuff exists but we had to seek it out exactly because free and nonprofit events and activities often don't have big commercial advertising budgets.

 

[Lcountz]

The two "new" retirement commercials that sparked this memory for me was:

1) The guy that retire to open his flying training business.
2) Tommy Lee Jones talking about retirement. He loos like he is on a 1000 acre ranch in Montana... At least that was my takeaway...

Yeah but did you notice the pickup truck TLJ is leaning on looks like 1970's vintage?!?!!?? Hardly symbolic of success ( at least for MOST people today).

I thought there was something sub-liminal about that piece of that hokey commercial...

 

[pb4uski]

Former Senator/actor Fred Thompson doing ads for reverse mortgages. That's a hoot!

I almost puked when I saw that for the first time. (didn't he try to run for President, too?)....

I always held Mr. Thompson in high regard from his acting career and his time as a US Senator, but when I saw him hawking reverse mortgages, my opinion of him dropped - a lot. I wonder if he really knows what he is hawking or just doesn't care. Sad either way.

 

[aja8888]

and drugs to make elderly men into sexual dynamos (probably much to the dismay of their wives).

I have read this is another cause of the divorce rate being so high for seniors in retirement communities....may be a good lead for family law attorneys.

 

[W2R]

I am also getting pretty tired of the ads for adult diapers and incontinence medications, and drugs to make elderly men into sexual dynamos (probably much to the dismay of their wives).

Now that would make a good commercial

 

[W2R]

I have read this is another cause of the divorce rate being so high for seniors in retirement communities....may be a good lead for family law attorneys.

There you go! I hadn't thought of that approach.

 

[bradaz2488]

It's not just you - but which industry runs ads that ARE realistic? Few if any that I can think of. The fundamental purpose of ads is to convince you to buy products & services - and planting unrealistic ideas in your head has proven to be the most effective way to do so, it works like a charm more often than not. Enlisting won't put you in fighter jet, a car won't improve your social status, underwear won't make you look like a supermodel, and Peyton Manning really doesn't care about your Papa John pizza order - the unrealistic images are endless! Even some that you laugh at can become effective through repetition or because your friends fall for it.

I suppose a "financial institution" could run an ad showing how really difficult it is to reach FI and how out of reach a comfortable retirement will be for many people - but I doubt it would have the desired effect/monetary return...

Realistic + commercials is an oxymoron.

You are so right. Selling retirements is just like selling any other product (sad)... I guess since I have always been a realist & fiscal conservative these retirement commercials seem to get me more "worked up" then other TV ads which I tend to ignore. They seem to do more harm then good... Oh well.. If everyone wanted to know the "real" situation they were in in terms of retirement they would really be depressed. Who am I to say they need to really know the "true" situation and how to help them.. If they really want to know they should join this forum ...

 

[John Galt III]

Why are they always in slomo and look like they are ODing on Thorazine?

 

[Tom52]

Unrealistic dreams?.....you mean not every retiree living in the Villages is 65, thin, athletic, and a social butterfly with a beautiful set of teeth?

 

[ERD50]

Former Senator/actor Fred Thompson doing ads for reverse mortgages. That's a hoot!

Those just crack me up! The way he tosses 'Jesse' a coin, and 'Jesse' hands him his morning paper (or whatever it is) w/o asking. Like that adds some sort of legitimacy to the sales pitch? Do the ad creators really think this is effective? Is there some subset of the population that would say "Oh, that nice man has a really good relationship with the guy at the news stand - I think I will buy whatever he is selling!". Really?

-ERD50

 

[Walt34]

I always held Mr. Thompson in high regard from his acting career and his time as a US Senator, but when I saw him hawking reverse mortgages, my opinion of him dropped - a lot. I wonder if he really knows what he is hawking or just doesn't care. Sad either way.

He probably needs the money. Perhaps the reverse mortgage on his house didn't pay enough to maintain his desired lifestyle.

 

[Free To Canoe]

A funny one is where the lady is portrayed as living "for ever". Hang gliding when she is 110 yrs old etc. I found it. Raymond James commercial. 187 years old?

About as realistic as having Raymond James charging low fees.

 

[retiredatfifty]

The most inspiring retirement "commercial" for me:

Never going to work TMBG - YouTube