The young and the beautiful have always dominated fashion, leaving everyone else to wonder what the hell is wrong with them. Ageing has been considered to be the greatest sin. The stereotypes are awful. But a new wave of older women is refusing to accept the stereotypes and fashion brand, FD Williams, is supporting their defiance in its SS23 campaign by creative collective House 337.

The campaign was driven by research showing that after their 40s, women stop seeing advertising which reflects who they are (if they appear at all). House 337’s strategy speaks to this new generation – one that is very different from how their mothers were at the same age.

This year’s JD Williams campaign addresses midlife women, celebrates getting older, tapping into the confidence, self-assuredness and zest for life of women in middle age. It features a diverse cast of empowered older models, all giving it plenty of attitude, accompanied by lines such as, “No it’s not my daughter’s, and yes I still look hot”, “Feeling more girlfriend than grandma” and “Admit it, this age thing suits you”.

The message is that JD Williams sees and understands midlife women, and supports them in feeling their best with fashion, homeware and lifestyle products for the moments that matter – all without an elasticated waist in sight. It’s a striking contrast to the way older women are typically shown in advertising – but chimes with JD Williams’ research which found a glaring disparity between those portrayals and the reality of their lives.

The campaign launched on May 8 and will run across TV, BVOD, OOH, radio, social and display until the end of June, with the7stars handling media planning and buying. The outdoor campaign will appear at high visibility sites including the Liverpool Media Wall and Manchester’s Piccadilly Gardens Banner, among other locations around the UK.

Esme Stone, head of brand marketing for JD Williams, said: “We’re delighted to present a campaign that truly demonstrates our commitment to midlife women. Together with House 337, we have developed a platform that allows us to speak to our style conscious audience in a way that resonates with her and her life stage. We’re excited for what lies ahead for our brand, and for our customers.”

Zara Ineson, Executive Creative Director, House 337, stated, “Why does society think men are allowed to get old, and yet seemingly women are not? We owe it to ourselves to make every age a wonderful, exciting prospect, right? Advertising has misrepresented midlife for too long: showing extremes, labelling it as menopausal or simply ignoring it altogether. We’re doing ourselves a disservice if we keep hiding from reality and overlooking middle-aged women. This is just the start of a long-term commitment from JD Williams to champion womanhood as multifaceted and awesome, embracing everything she is. Because it’s about bloody time someone reframes and reclaims midlife.”

Credits
Client: JD Williams 
Head of Brand Marketing: Esme Stone
Brand Leads: Donna Scully & Chloe Beveridge 

Creative Agency: House 337 
Executive Creative Director: Zara Ineson 
Creative Director: Lou Canham
Art Director: Emma Jordan 
Strategy Director: Laura Sammarco
Planner: Lottie Mayer
Account Management: Sarah Johnston, Rebecca Snaith, Hannah Thomas  

Media Agency: The 7 Stars – Suzanne Morgan, Libby Foster, Emily Docherty

Photographer: Diane Russo Cheng
Production Company: JN Productions
Director: Diane Russo Cheng
Client Creative & Production Isla Kirby, Daniel Gleeson, Ciara Mordaunt, Sarah Lee & Nat Lowe
DoP Madeline Kate Kann