We’ve all heard it, maybe even said it – that once you reach a certain age, things start to change: your body slows down, your options narrow and life becomes more about limitation than possibility. But who says change has to be a bad thing? What if ageing isn’t about losing capabilities, but about gaining new ones?

Remember when running meant sprinting across the playground and now it might look more like a morning walk with your favourite podcast? Or discovering the richness of dark chocolate after years of favouring milk chocolate? There’s a quiet power in the way we adapt – the way our bodies shift, how our preferences evolve and how our movements find new rhythms.

This isn’t about loss, it’s about powerful change

These shifts and changes are something to celebrate. Brands that understand these shifts can design more relevant, empathetic products and services. In our research with 900 people from the UK, US and China aged 50 and older, we discovered:

• 76% want products that help them do what they can, not just fix what they can’t.
• 51% say their senses have evolved as they’ve gotten older.
• 25% can’t find clothes and products that fit their body without looking made for “old people”.

This led to one of our five innovation platforms: Boundless motion,  which celebrates how bodies, tastes and movements shift throughout life. From developing more nuanced taste preferences to finding new ways to stay active, it’s about designing products that work with changing bodies, not against them.

Activating Boundless motion and unlocking innovation

So how can your brand activate on this innovation platform?

We anchored it in three key consumer insights to push past the frustrations Silvers have when their environment is trying to limit them. The consumer insights we uncovered were:

1. Sensory Shift: “I crave bolder flavours and textures, because my senses have changed over the years, but most brands still focus on younger people.”
2. Movement Redefined: “I want gear that moves with my body, because I’m active and style-conscious, but adaptive products often look medical or ‘senior’.”
3. Challenge Boundaries: “I want activities that challenge and energize me, because I crave adventure and new experiences, but I’m constantly fighting against assumptions about what’s ‘appropriate’.”

These insights aren’t just observations, they’re invitations to dig deeper. How can we create sensory-rich products or experiences that evolve alongside people’s evolving preferences? How can we design gear that adapts to bodies in motion while reflecting personal style and self-expression? And how we might build in just the right kind of challenge, whether physical, social or emotional that transcend limits while staying safe and easy to join? It’s an invitation to take a 360 look and think more creatively and more humanly about innovation.

Take a look at some current designs, concepts and advertising examples below:

Making it work for your brand

In the spirit of Boundless motion, where brands are encouraged to tap into how bodies, tastes and movements shift throughout life, the real challenge is: how can your brand innovate with these shifts, not against them?

Successful Boundless motion innovations share common principles:

• Celebrate capability over limitation
• Engage multiple senses (not just visual)
• Adapt to individual preferences rather than assuming uniformity
• Look contemporary, not medical or institutional

People over 50 aren’t looking for products that fix them, but products that empower what they can do. The best way to unlock Boundless motion opportunities? Bring them directly into your innovation process through online communities where you can co-create, test concepts and build products and services that reflect their realities.

If you want to find out more about how our online communities can help you unlock more opportunities reach out now! 

*The numbers in this article are taken from our global research with 900 people aged 50+ across three markets: US, UK, CN