Ancestry launches new documenary style campaign

Creative production agency Avocados and Coconuts reunited with Ancestry's in-house team to create new ads that take a vérité approach. Directors Christopher Newman and Matthew Palmer infused their unique documentary styles to showcase how Ancestry is a place where families can discover, craft, and connect their family story together. 

Each spot tells the story of family passions and traditions passed along generations—from the Zimmermans’ glass-blowing artistry to the Meyers’ 130-year-old family-owned hat store, the Healys’ legacy of dancing, and the Hogartys’ shared athleticism.

Paige Grossman, Vice President, Global Creative & Brand at Ancestry commented: “With their understanding of our brand's values and heritage, Avocados and Coconuts helped us create ads that truly resonate and showcase the best of our product in a way that feels authentic and relatable.” 

While Newman, who directed the Zimmerman and Hogarty family spots revealed: “This campaign was the magical intersection of my documentary sensibilities and Ancestry’s fundamental mission, which are both rooted in the element of discovery. I enjoy working with real people from all walks of life, and here, we got to work on uncovering the uniqueness of each family dynamic and the extraordinary stories of how their passions and histories are tied together through shared DNA. By bringing these stories to life, we can remind other people that they can also discover their own.”

Essential to the campaign was casting, as Ancestry and the Avocados team partnered with casting agencies to find four families that not only represented the campaign theme of shared traits, hobbies, and businesses but also the diversity of Ancestry’s client base; moreover, as non-actors, subjects who could express themselves authentically and naturally on camera. 

Newman and Palmer conducted pre-interview sessions via Zoom to prepare for the shoot while keeping vérité moments open and conversational on set, embedding themselves within the families with smaller, intimate crews for each two-day shoot, and using locations that were authentic to each family, from homes to schools to places of business.