Madonna redefines herself and—more importantly—what it means to turn 50.

It seems a bit beyond belief, doesn't it?

On the eve of her 50th birthday this summer, the Material Girl, the author of Sex, and the perpetrator of countless minor social scandals, Madonna, released her eleventh studio album—"Hard Candy"—which hits store and online shelves April 29.

Hardly needed, but a bit of perspective seems in order. Madonna launched her professional pop career in 1983 with a self-titled album, over-the-top sensuality, and a dynamic stage presence. An interesting case study to say the least, but hers was hardly a unique story at the time.

While many of her contemporaries have faded from the scene, Madonna remains. The reason is pretty simple, really. The Madonna of 1983 is not the Madonna of 1987. Or the Madonna of 1994. Or the Madonna of 2000. Or the Madonna of 2008. Whereas other artists have stayed relevant by not dramatically changing (thus guaranteeing a stable audience), the pop world is a different beast entirely.  Madonna understands that world—and like her (or her new album) or not—she remains as successful and as relevant as ever.

But all of this would be nothing but an interesting bit of MTV trivia would it not be for what Madonna has come to represent. On August 16, Madonna will turn 50 years old. And at 50, she retains an enviable balance of hip, emotional maturity, and rooted confidence most of her modern contemporaries sorely lack.

Again, interesting, but not in and of itself unique.

What truly makes Madonna important, from a marketer's perspective, is not her onstage kisses, her wild outfits, or her young child. It is that she has come to symbolize a fundamentally changing demographic truth. Madonna is a powerful image of the new 50.

It was only a generation ago that turning 50 meant the beginning of the end. The end of a career. The end of physical attractiveness. And the end of personal relevance. We jokingly celebrated turning 50 with black balloons and the tacit acknowledgment that the birthday recipient was heading toward the twilight of life.

And it was hard to blame partygoers. Average life expectancy in the United States at the turn of the 20th century was just under 50 years old. By 1950, the number had climbed to just over 67. Today, we are fast approaching 80. In fact, one of the fastest growing populations of Americans is centagenarians - people living up to and past the age of 100.

Our public perception is only beginning to catch up.

Instead of asking at age 50, "How do I wind down my life?" people are beginning to ask, "What do I want for the second half of my life!" Today, 50 means "midlife" in the true sense of the word. Fifty is a new beginning.

And again, like her or not, Madonna is a symbol for what 50 can be. And that symbol is forcing a whole new set of questions. Better questions. What does it mean to be vibrant and active? What does it mean to be sexual? What does it mean to be a parent?

And it scares most marketers to death.

Oh sure, if you ask them, most marketers claim to have seen it coming. They even spout the same statistics regarding activity levels and life expectancy. Then in the same breath they write commercials such as the intolerable piece of garbage for Colonial Penn Life Insurance. (You have likely seen it: A man in his 50s wakes up in the middle of the night worrying about his life insurance. He and his wife calmly review the rational benefits of such a policy, and decide in the end to get the "peace of mind" only Colonial Penn's policy can bring. This commercial would have been modestly appropriate in 1980. It is exceeding out of touch today.)

But wait, you say. We have seen an explosion in marketing to "older" Americans. Massive marketing campaigns for all manner of pharmaceuticals. Record-breaking numbers of 50-somethings traveling.  The democratization of cosmetic surgery.

True. And with few exceptions, searingly boring ad work. Campaigns for Baby Boomers rarely strike with the same creative energy that "youth" campaigns exude.

What I don't think our collective marketing department has figured out just yet is how to handle the "new 50." How to handle people who have reached a stage of maturity and financial wealth that finally allows them to live the life they could not fully understand, nor afford, in their 20s and 30s. This is a group that will likely become more active, more physical, and more daring as they age. Not less.

That means sightseeing bus tours are out. Adventure hikes are in. Water aerobics is out. Taekwondo is in. Woodcarving is out. Wii is in.

It is the paradox of mature and wild living in the same body.

It is the Madonna paradox. And we had better get used to it.

Comments

[Whatsername]

LOVE HER!

[Cathy Fischer]

As you point out, Madonna has been reinventing her brand since day-one of her professional career. Many of us "of a certain age" continue to evolve as well, but in a more subtle way. You are right on target when you say: "What I don't think our collective marketing department has figured out just yet is how to handle the "new 50."' I've just started a new blog that speaks to the energetic vitality of women in their fifties, and without the bland, "old" packaging. Check out fiftyisthenew.com for something relevant and hip.