Companies like Ancestry have enabled a wave of genealogy enthusiasts to go online and uncover their family histories. While family-tree building usually entails solo research behind a screen, Ancestry wants to reframe itself as a communal space where relatives can preserve and craft their legacies for generations to come.
The brand’s new platform, titled “It’s a Family Thing,” intends to “take family history from something that is in the past to a more modern place,” said Jarrod Higgins, creative director at Wieden+Kennedy Portland, the agency behind the campaign.
Ancestry does this by telling the stories of three real families who have passed down their passions through generations. The films portray The Hughes, a family of Black cowboys in Illinois who have competed in rodeos for decades; The Serrano family in Southern California who nurture a passion for vintage cars; and The Karam family of more than 70 Louisiana State University football fans.
The campaign comprises ads with a home-movie feel, focusing on each of the families’ unique traditions. Product-centric spots also promote a wider suite of tools beyond tree building and DNA research, including features that allow customers to document histories and preserve content online, such as photos and audio.
Paige Grossman Nelson, vice president of global creative and brand marketing at Ancestry, told Adweek that the brand aims to modernize its image and expand interest in genealogy by invoking a sense of pride among consumers.
“The campaign strategy taps into a common need: ‘I want to feel proud of who I am and where I come from.’ Pride in belonging is how we create identity,” Nelson said. “As the product experience evolves from ‘me’ to ‘we’… Ancestry’s emotional space must evolve from a brand focused on individual discovery to a brand that enables family connection.”
The ads will run across channels, including Hulu, YouTube, ABC, NBC, CNN, Peacock and EyeQ.
