Pfizer is challenging Americans to embrace aging as not an end, but a beginning - a time to fulfill old dreams and make new ones a reality. For graduation season 2015, "Get Ready. Get Set. Get Old." releases its "Commencement Day" video and new Get Old branding that serve as reminders of the inspiration, hopes and dreams that begin the next phase of every journey.
New research conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of Pfizer revealed that the majority of Americans surveyed believe that younger ages are the best time to have key life experiences like getting married, being a parent or getting a college degree(1), and Pfizer wants to challenge these conventions. Interestingly, according to the Get Old Survey, as people get older, the more open they are to experiencing new beginnings. For example, the clear majority of millennials (95%) felt the best age to get married is under 40, while fewer Generation Xers (62%) and even fewer Baby Boomers (60%) felt the same(1). Pew Research Center reports that the majority of millennials aren't actually tying the knot before their 30s(2), but according to the Get Old survey, millennials surprisingly selected the 20s as the best time to get married(1).
"Through Get Old, we, at Pfizer, want to help people understand that each stage of life is an opportunity to begin again and experience 'firsts,'" said Sally Susman, Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs at Pfizer. "As our longevity continues to increase it is more important than ever to stay healthy, to live well, and that's why Pfizer has always been supportive of healthy aging."
The new program uses cultural experiences usually associated with youth to challenge conventional views of aging and will be highlighted throughout the year on the updated GetOld.com and Get Old social channels. The inspiring "Commencement Day" video uses the traditional summer graduation milestone as a metaphor for embracing new phases of life and encourages those of all ages to see every day as a new beginning. The brand campaign on Pfizer's headquarters in New York City and throughout Get Old.com, contrasts images of individuals in their 40s, 50s and beyond experiencing "firsts" or "new beginnings" - a couple in their 50s on a "First Date," a man in his 40s as a "Freshman" and a couple in their 60s looking at their "Starter Home." One of the featured individuals, Alicia Dellario, is a Pfizer colleague and ovarian cancer survivor, who is dedicated to inspiring others to live life to the fullest, no matter what challenges they face.
Get Old, developed by Pfizer in 2012, is an ongoing initiative that fosters candid conversations around aging, redefines what it means to "get old" and encourages individuals to adopt healthy behaviors to age the way they want. These educational efforts are supported by more than a dozen Get Old partners who collaborate to provide guidance and educational content for GetOld.com , including the Alliance for Aging Research, American Sexual Health Association, National Alliance for Caregiving and Men's Health Network.
For more than 150 years, Pfizer has been working to help people live longer, healthier lives - and as one of the oldest pharmaceutical companies, it knows and respects the challenges and opportunities that experience can bring. Pfizer works with healthcare professionals, healthcare systems and insurers, academia and governments to help people age well. Other Pfizer health and aging efforts include Get Healthy, Stay Healthy - Pfizer's Chief Medical Officer Freda Lewis-Hall's health and medical information site for U.S. audiences - and ReACT (Respect a Caregiver's Time) - an employer-focused coalition, of which Pfizer is a founding member, dedicated to addressing the challenges faced by employee caregivers.
Get Old Survey
This survey was conducted online within the United States between May 27-29, 2015 among 2,020 adults aged 18 and over by Harris Poll on behalf of Pfizer via its Quick Query omnibus product. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.
All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, the words "margin of error" are avoided as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.
Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in our surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the online panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
Pfizer Inc.: Working together for a healthier world®
At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to bring therapies to people that extend and significantly improve their lives. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacture of health care products. Our global portfolio includes medicines and vaccines as well as many of the world's best-known consumer health care products. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as one of the world's premier innovative biopharmaceutical companies, we collaborate with health care providers, governments and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For more than 150 years, Pfizer has worked to make a difference for all who rely on us.
About The Harris Poll
Over the last 5 decades, Harris Polls have become media staples. With comprehensive experience and precise technique in public opinion polling, along with a proven track record of uncovering consumers' motivations and behaviors, The Harris Poll has gained strong brand recognition around the world. The Harris Poll offers a diverse portfolio of proprietary client solutions to transform relevant insights into actionable foresight for a wide range of industries including health care, technology, public affairs, energy, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, media, retail, restaurant, and consumer packaged goods. Contact us for more information.
1. Harris Poll Research 2015 commissioned by Pfizer's Get Old
2. http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2014/03/07/millennials-in-adulthood/sdt-next-america-03-07-2014-0-02/