Only 4% of people featured in advertisements worldwide are aged sixty or older, despite seniors representing a significant and growing portion of the population in many markets. In Singapore, a HKUST study found that 88.6% of news articles from 2020 to 2023 contain ageist rhetoric, reflecting the pervasive stereotypes that misrepresent older adults. The urgency to correct these portrayals has never been clearer, especially when 1 in 6 people globally will be aged 60 years or over by 2030.
In response, the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), in partnership with The Secret Little Agency has launched the second phase of the “Break The Silver Ceiling” movement — a transformative initiative aimed at breaking the narrow, outdated portrayal of seniors in mainstream media. Following the success of the “Boomer Is OK” campaign, which featured active and inspiring seniors from sprinter Shanti Pereira’s mother and actor Jack Neo, this year’s edition goes a step further. Its goal: to create a vast, inclusive image bank that showcases the vibrant, multifaceted lives of seniors.
This year’s campaign, titled “Break The Silver Ceiling: One Photo at a Time,” tackles ageist stereotypes head-on by producing a comprehensive digital photo repository that celebrates seniors in their true light—active, engaged, and diverse. The photo bank contains 120 images of 40 seniors, captured by four renowned Singaporean photographers:
• Aik Beng Chia, known for his raw, unfiltered depiction of seniors living dynamic, everyday lives.
• Amiera Raushan, whose relatable and relaxed photography captures seniors in their day-to-day experiences.
• Mindy Tan, highlighting the passions and pursuits of older adults, emphasizing their vitality.
• Zantz Han, bringing glamour and modernity to the depiction of ageing through a polished, editorial style.
These photos will be available at breakthesilverceiling.com and distributed across Singapore through out-of-home billboards, media collaborations, and partnerships with government agencies such as the Ministry of Health, Mediacorp, and SPH. The aim is to ensure that older adults are not only seen authentically but portrayed with the dignity, complexity, and diversity they deserve.
“This movement isn’t about trying to make 60 the new 40,” said Nicholas Ye and Mavis Neo, Co-Chief Creative Officers, The Secret Little Agency. “It’s about being 60 and proud of it. A simple Google image search or stock photo search reinforces such a myopic view of ageing. As an industry, we have to do better – we are perpetuating the stereotypes of ageing that exist in visual culture and as brand stewards, we have the responsibility to represent ageing in a way that is real, authentic, and true.”
They added: “It’s time to remove phrases like, ‘She looks good for her age,’ from our collective vocabulary. The reality is that the over 60 today live full active lives, defined by more than just their age. By changing how seniors are portrayed, we change how they’re seen—and how we’ll see ourselves as we age.”
