At some point in your life, you probably said to someone that they look good at their age. And even if you did it with the best of intentions, this statement right here can still be interpreted as offensive. Not to mention that it is considered very rude to ask a lady her age. So why does this happen? Why are we somehow ashamed of our age?

Let’s face it, we’re not getting any younger. According to WHO, people aged 60 and older will reach two billion worldwide in 2050. Based on this data, it’s only fair to assume that the world needs to do something and tackle ageism, which research suggests it may now be even more pervasive than sexism and racism.

Whether we like it or not, we grow up with a belief that aging is something negative, as the world perpetuates such thinking. Yet, many of us feel younger than our actual chronological age. So how about giving up on such stereotypes and start being confident regardless of our age?

Because, what’s wrong with being confident?

During this week’s #ThrowBrandThursday, we are bringing to your attention Joanna Griffiths‘, Founder and CEO at Knix, an intimate apparel brand, “crazy idea” of honoring International Women’s Day 2020 by celebrating women over the age of 50. According to Knix, this category of ladies has been historically ignored and underrepresented. “A weird thing happens in society where when women get to a certain age, we pretend that they don’t exist. We stop seeing them in advertising and marketing, and at Knix we wanted to celebrate the fact that all women are beautiful. They’re gorgeous at any age, exactly how they are. And we wanted to celebrate that,” Griffiths says.

The brand’s campaign message is that “Age Doesn’t Matter” and, to support this statement, it created a video in which women in their 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s are the protagonists because honoring such ladies shouldn’t be a crazy idea. To create the campaign, Knix put out a casting call with one rule only: Women had to be 50 or older to be eligible. The feedback the brand got was overwhelming, as more than 500 ladies applied.

Knix believes that it is time for females to live unapologetically free, a belief that the protagonists showed throughout the entire process thanks to their natural honesty and vulnerabilities. “Every single one of them is just owning their superpower which is being genuine and authentic to who they are,” the CEO said when asked what was the most inspiring thing about these ladies.

The campaign video is set to Demi Lovato’s “Confident” song and the confidence of these ladies was captured by a team of females: Soleil Denault as Director, Sarah Kravetz as Assistant Director, Nina Djacic as Director of Photography, and Kari Hollend as Producer because Knix celebrates all women, those who go on-screen on those who are behind the scenes.

“This shoot was one of the most enriching and surprising experiences of my life: Women over 50 are the REAL DEAL. We tend to forget about their strength and badassness, we’re dearly mistaken. They lifted me with them in their unapologetic confidence, they made me laugh, they complimented each other, they trusted me…their generosity and openness floored me to my very core. This is the kind of world I want to live in,” the director said.

Through the campaign, Griffiths hopes that people will want to share it as it is different than the things they’ve seen before. But she would also love for the broader industry to show interest and admit that “it’s time as a society we really celebrate women of all ages,” she adds.

Credits:

Knix

Director: Soleil Denault (L’eloi)

Assistant Director: Sarah Kravitz

DP: Nina Djacic

Editor:  Jackie Roda (Married to Giants)

Producer: Kari Hollend (Heyd Saffer)

Colorist: Roslyn Di Sisto (Darling)

Casting: Jules Fitzsimmons (Jules Casting)