Hallmark Isn't Interested in "Old Talent." QVC Thinks We're Smoking Hot
Hallmark execs thought Holly Robinson Peete and Lacey Chabert were "Old Talent" and needed to be replaced
Hello, Gorgeous!
Yesterday I taught one of my monthly beauty trends classes to a group of Holocaust survivors. The age range of these beauties is early 80s to nearly 100 years old. They’re bright, vibrant, and amazing. Yesterday we talked about neck cream and permanent facial hair removal —yea or nay. One of my students, a vivacious beauty in her early 80s mentioned that she noticed she was becoming invisible to society when she hit her (wait for it) mid 70s. Let that sink in for a moment.
As women of a certain age, we’re frequently led to believe that society no longer finds us as sexy, vibrant or worth being visible when we hit our 40s.
Tell that to J. Lo and pretty much every kickass woman I know.
Et tu, Hallmark?
Sadly, the Hallmark Channel — ostensibly targeted to women in their 40s and older— was recently hit with a lawsuit for discriminating against women 40 and over. You just can’t make that stuff up.
As reported by Variety
Hallmark executive VP of programming Lisa Hamilton Daly told her staff she did not want to cast “old people,” saying they did not fit with her image for the channel.
In the suit, Hamilton Daly is quoted as singling out Holly Robinson Peete and Lacey Chabert, who are 60 and 42 respectively, as examples of “old talent” that needed to be “replaced.” Both actors have starred in Christmas movies and shows on the Hallmark Channel.
“Lacey’s getting older and we have to find someone like her to replace her as she gets older,” Hamilton Daly allegedly said.
Zip on over to QVC, and attracting women 50+ is hot on the menu.
QVC has entered the group chat
Back in July, QVC launched the Quintessential 50 (Q50), a group of 50 “authentic and inspiring female celebrities, activists, business leaders and lifestyle experts who exemplify the possibilities of life over 50.” Tagline: Seen, celebrated, supported.
Slow clap for QVC.
The Q50 list itself is a bit self-promotional (of course it is) with longtime QVC bestsellers and vendors included. You know who else is on the list? Queen Latifah, Billie Jean King, Naomi Watts and Tamsen Fadal. Watts and Fadal both shifted their personal brands to dispel the myths around menopause and life beyond. And let’s not forget stylist Stacy London who now describes herself as a “midlife advocate.”
But QVC is on to something. They cite a depressing survey explaining that QVC’s new platform was inspired by
the alarming gap between how much women expect from life after 50 versus how little the world actually supports those expectations.”
QVC’s YouGov poll of March 2024 surveyed 3,713 respondents and found that
62% of women ages 50-70 feel that entering age 50 and beyond is viewed by society as a time of decline – and the number one misconception these women are most excited to prove wrong is that they are resistant to change and new experiences.
Adding insult to injury, the survey also found that “only 31% of women ages 50-70 feel supported by brands – as compared to 58% of women ages 18-29 and 41% of women ages 30-49.”
You know. A lot like Hallmark right now.
So, what do you think? Has Hallmark lost their way? Is QVC onto something? Are both brands missing or hitting their marketing targets? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
Rachel, Your beauty concierge 💋
Wow, at first I thought "Lacey Chabert, she's even younger than me!" as those of us who are closer to 60 than 20 but don't feel it are prone to doing... Hallmark is missing an enormous opportunity here; the people who grew up on their brand are in their 40s now and still love watching their contemporaries slay on screen. They need to take notes from Nobody Wants This, the most-watched English-language title and number one TV show in its first week on Netflix, with 15.9 million views, starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody, both 44, with a supporting cast of middle and older-aged characters. Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, 61, steals every scene from Lily Collins (a very young looking 35) in Netflix hit Emily in Paris.
And let's be real, Holly Robinson Peete will be beguiling through her 80s.
Older women have more purchasing power, plain and simple. Don't bite the hand that feeds you, Hallmark. It's always easier to give your existing customers more of what they want than to draw in new customers.
I can't seem to respond to Kiki's comment. If these claims are true, then Hallmark is so panicked about the next generation of watchers (who let's face it, aren't actually a Hallmark demographic) that they're comfortable cutting off their fiercely loyal watchers.