We all know it’s the Baby Boomers who control the discretionary spending in our economy, but now they’ve gone into competition with Gen Y to earn it.

Move over Gen Y, grannies are back in vogue, and their secret weapon? Knitting of course…

Several companies have identified this trend and are leveraging the appeal of grannies to sell their products, recognising this cultural shift of a desire to return to grass roots and the need for frugality.

Our favourite is Swiss NetGranny, an online sock distributor. You simply select one of the grandmas to knit the socks for you.

Oxfam has released a YouTube channel, featuring its own Green Granny. 71 year-old grandmother, Barbara Walmsley, gives people money-saving tips on heating, mending and cooking leftovers. She has quickly shot to internet stardom after attracting nearly a quarter of a million viewers.

All of these enterprises aim to transcend the impersonal mass produced world of consumption, which we spoke with Kamal Sarma about in our story on shifting consumer values.

For a long time now, boomers have been taking the back seat as the advertising industry focuses on the more outwardly attractive demographic of twentysomethings. If nothing else, these examples above demonstrate what we already know – boomers are a group of people who want to be heard, involved, and active in our communities. Maybe now is a good time to start thinking about how your brand can embrace this.

Thanks to: netgranny.ch, Oxfam, Barbara Walmsley