This summer, Droga5 crafted a Fourth of July campaign for Ancestry.com featuring a reenactment of the classic John Trumbull painting “Declaration of Independence” with descendants of the signers of the Declaration, its first work for the client after winning lead creative duties in early June.
With another American holiday staple, Thanksgiving, on the horizon, Droga5 launched a cross-promotional effort for Ancestry and Disney Pixar’s upcoming movie Coco, which makes its debut in theaters on Thanksgiving. The spot, which will run in 30 and 15-second iterations, utilizes a moment in the film when a character connects his love of music to his grandfather to highlight how Ancestry.com can help viewers learn more about their own ancestors.
While it’s hard to say for certain how convincing a connection to the themes of the film the cross-promotional approach is before its release, there does seem to be at least enough of a connection for it not to come across as completely far-fetched. The scene in question does seem to be an impetus for the character in the Day of the Dead related film to connect with his grandfather in a way that facilitates his own self-discovery. That’s not a bad connection to the perceived selling point behind Ancestry and its “Unlock Your Past. Inspire Your Future” tagline. So while even the best of cross-promotional efforts can’t help but feel at least a little forced, this one appears to at least have been thought through and arguably seems to makes enough sense to justify the approach.