The Australian advertising industry has long been branded as young, and therefore structurally biased toward hiring and targeting youth, let alone commercially blind to the spending power of older Australians.
In my view, this exists for three reasons: youth is associated with innovation and technology; client retainers are contracting forcing agencies to juniorise their teams; and experience is considered replaceable by technology such as AI and digital natives.
The average age of agency talent currently sits at 32.7 (MFA Census 2025), with independents older at 35.4 (IMAA Salary Survey 2025) vs the Australian average of 44 years. More concerning is that our people start to exit the industry as they approach 40, thinking their skills and experience are redundant, searching for that next career.
Globally, only 5% of agency employees are aged over 50 years, of age which is shocking to me as someone who turned this milestone birthday last year, with still plenty to contribute to the industry. One glimmer of hope is the indie world, which I am incredibly passionate about as Chair of the IMAA (Independent Media Association of Australia). 12% are over 50 in our SMB agencies, and in my own agency, it sits at 38% as we understand that an inter-generational team brings better problem‑solving, innovation and customer alignment.
We now know the commercial and cultural benefits of a diverse workplace with increased innovation, productivity and profitability through a variety of perspectives and skills. And whilst we’ve seen a strong focus on gender equality, cultural backgrounds, and even sexual orientations, age in our industry remains one of the DE&I areas still sitting on the cutting room floor.
For me, we need to bring this into the light quickly, hence my involvement with the Experience Advocacy Taskforce (EAT), which aims to make ageism a non-issue for the next generation. If we don’t, we risk losing the rich tapestry of inter-generational workplaces where we better represent the audiences we are trying to reach with our clients’ messages. If we continue to let experienced talent silently quit or become redundant, where do the learnings from the past go, the historical contexts, the marketing theories, the consumer insights? Who will our younger talent learn off, be coached by, learn traits like grit and inter-relational skills from?
The rampant biases towards age are what need to be challenged; that older people are 'less adaptable' or 'less innovative' and younger people are 'entitled, lazy and unreliable', none of which is helpful in an industry aimed at changing consumer behaviour. How can we put a spotlight on the truth that great ideas can come from anyone, that new workplace practices are good for everyone, and that, in the end, we are in the relationship-building business with clients and consumers of all ages?
Are money and power the reason age diversity isn’t getting the airtime?
One could argue that who gets hired, promoted, trained or resourced is shaped by who already has the power, so inequity often tracks financial decisions and influence. With marketers being asked to justify the return-on-investment for each media dollar and creative asset they brief to their Boards, and many agencies still being remunerated on an FTE time-based method, it is easy to see why juniorisation of teams has occurred. Yet the irony of this is that what marketers want from their agencies is strategic partnerships and a deep commercial understanding of their business. Recently, a marketer shared with me that they just wanted “adults in the room” but the question is, will they pay for this experience?
Beyond the commercials and leadership challenges, this issue is about dignity and respect, a voice and place for all generations in the workforce, and a culture that values each person, regardless of when they were born. If we continue to allow age diversity to struggle for airtime, then we are forcing the next generation of leaders into a learning void, without the mentors who have gone before them. And as someone who has experienced the richness of a healthy inter-generational team, where all ages ideate, respectfully debate, and make decisions for the benefit of the team, not the individual, the rest of you are missing out on this strong competitive advantage.
It’s time to challenge the destructive age biases, demand leaders address this issue with as much rigour and passion as other DE&I pillars, and give clients what they really want – a diverse team who can be strategic advisors, creatively solving their barriers to growth.
Campaign’s 50 Over Fifty
Too often, the industry overlooks senior talent in favour of younger, cheaper and supposedly more agile hires. Campaign’s 50 Over Fifty initiative challenges that bias by spotlighting seasoned leaders whose experience, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit continue to push the industry forward.
Nominations are now open. Submit your entry or nominate an outstanding peer.
Jacquie Alley is the COO and owner of The Media Store, Australia.
Source: Campaign Asia-Pacific
