In a new brand campaign, Ancestry wants to move its image from being a company that helps people find their past to one that helps them inform the present. The new campaign, dubbed “It’s a family thing,” demonstrates how families use the site’s tools to curate their stories and keep traditions alive. 

“After decades of leadership in family history research, this work marks a major milestone as we look to the future and broaden the appeal of Ancestry," said Paige Grossman, Ancestry’s vice president of global creative and brand marketing. “We're changing the narrative and inspiring people not only to learn about their past but also be active participants in preserving the family history that is happening now and represent it daily.”

The new campaign highlights a shift in the way it wants consumers to think about ancestral research. For years, the activity had been defined as something done by individuals as a hobby. This new effort, which touts several new tools developed by the company, demonstrates how families can use the database to maintain both old and new family traditions. 

“We want to be the brand that is not only about looking back in history but also about the one that impacts your daily lives,” Grossman said, adding that the company had added several new tools, such as photo editing and audio recording, to better curate current stories.

The campaign includes the stories of three families and how they bring their family traditions to life and how they represent their legacies using Ancestry’s tools. For instance, the Hughes Family, a clan of Black cowboys who have competed in rodeos for generations, uses Ancestry’s StoryMaker studio to keep track of family milestones and preserve their legacy. Similarly, the Serrano Family uses the site’s tools to track their family’s multigenerational passion for vintage cars. 

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“When we were looking for these stories, we wanted to find people in the present day who were celebrating where they come from,” Grossman said. “We’re already looking to harness more family stories that we will roll out in 2024.”

The campaign will run on a variety of media, including Hulu, YouTube, ABC, NBC, CNN, Peacock and others. Wieden + Kennedy developed the creative for the campaign, while the company has enlisted Publicis Vita to handle media planning and buying.