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In its industry-wide effort to court the coming wave of retirees, financial services companies are updating their ad campaigns to create a new image of retirement.Despite studies showing that boomers aren't planning to retire just because they've hit 60, the financial services industry has stepped up its retirement planning advertising campaigns. From Kiplinger's Personal Finance to the New Yorker to television shows like "CSI" and "Without a Trace," ads pushing retirement services are showing up more and more. And they're a lot different from what we're used to.

"It's really a very different approach from ten or even five years ago," said Stuart Elliott, business and advertising columnist for the New York Times. "Whereas ten years ago, you might see a grandfather sitting on the porch with his grandson somewhere, now you typically see people engaged in more active pursuits – biking, hiking, extreme sports, that sort of thing. It's all about the boomers and the different ways that they think and behave."

Nowhere is this different approach more apparent than in Ameriprise Financial's "Dreams Don't Retire" campaign. Launched last fall, the television and print advertisements feature actor Dennis Hopper, whose personal past has emodied the boomer axiom, "If you remember the ‘60s, you weren't really there."

"There is no better figure to personify our message than legendary actor Dennis Hopper," said Kim Sharan, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Ameriprise. "With his help we are speaking with boomers, not at them."

Of course, the celebrity approach is merely one way that financial services companies are speaking with the 78 million boomers out there.

Prudential Financial has gone the alarming route, perhaps betting on the fact that many boomers have not saved as much as they should, with its question, "Are you in the Retirement Red Zone?" Prudential defines the Red Zone as the five years before and the five years after you retire, "when decisions about your retirement assets matter more. And there's less room for error." The ad recommends calling their 800 for a free brochure to learn "why it's such a critical time for your financial security."

Fidelity Investments is keeping it simple with its myPlan retirement calculator, figuring that "Even those with a planning phobia can answer five easy questions." Of course, myPlan is only a first step: next comes the 30-minute "Retirement Quick Check," which leads to the personal meeting with a Fidelity advisor, and so on.

Meanwhile, The Hartford, the 195-year-old Fortune 100 company, is adding to its traditional image with a few minor tweaks. For instance, one print ad shows the silhouette of its iconic 12-point buck, though within this silhouette can be seen a man parachuting to Earth, an image which can be seen on two levels: a parachute brings to mind the idea of "a soft landing" and shows that The Hartford does not consider a person inactive just because he or she has retired. "There's no such thing as a quiet, little retirement when it's yours," the ad reads.

"To some degree, we're going to see more ads suggesting that, in the future, people are going to be active in their retirements," Elliott said. "[These] companies know that people of this generation will be interested in pursuing some other type of work, whether it's volunteering or pursuing a hobby. This is the first wave."

And since this is only the first wave, it's likely many financial companies will be tweaking their messages as boomers continue to define retirement for themselves. It seems even Dennis Hopper will have to worry about job security.