Ancestry’s new Fourth of July ad
This may be the Best Genealogy Ad Ever.
In capital letters.
Bold.
And italics.
Seriously.
Ancestry has just produced an ad for the Fourth of July celebration here in the United States which will give you goosebumps.
It’s captioned “Unlock your past. Inspire your future.”
And it’s wonderful.
Watch it here:
In case for some reason that doesn’t come through, it’s here on YouTube, or search YouTube for “Declaration Descendants.”
If the scene at the end is vaguely familiar to you, here’s why:
The painting Declaration of Independence, by John Trumbull, hangs in the United States Capitol rotunda.
Here’s the best part of that reproduction of the Trumbull painting: every single person in the ad is a descendant of a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Best. Genealogy. Ad. Ever.
Kudos to Ancestry!
Happy Fourth of July.
Image: John Trumbull, Declaration of Independence (1819), via Wikimedia Commons.
This is fantastic! You are correct, it did give me goosebumps.
This ad has been my spirit animal since it dropped. Love.it.
History is Alive and Living! The Descendants is head spinning! It’s real and touchable.
FANTASTIC.
I hope Ancestry does more like this. I think I am a descendant of Lady Godiva but don’t have time or expertise to validate.
I am now a very prough member of Ancestry.
FANTASTIC. I HOPE ANCESTRY DOES MORE LIKE THIS.I think I am a descendant of Lady Godiva but don’t have time or expertise to validate.
I am now a proud member of Ancestry.
OK, so now I’m crying!
Ancesrry’s YouTube channel has several brief interviews with some of the descendants who appear in the ad.
I agree! I literally got chills watching it, even prior to reading your post that I would get chills! Must be a genealogist thing.
Another ad to get you to spend money on there crappy service
That kind of is the purpose of advertising… to get you to buy the service.
Dear Adolph, ol’ boy…if you have had a bad experience with Ancestry…do contact your local SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION…even if it does not lead to a Patriot..they will help you research your family for free…their Registrar will meet you at your convenience at your local Lib.
Honorary DAR Regent R.A. POLKE-DUTTON, RITTERSKAMP
THIS is how you breathe life into a painting. I christen this one “Ancestry’s Opus”
Wonderful ad. I really think this should be taught in schools again. People come from all around to see where history started I am glad that I live in Philadelphia where i can see it everyday.
YUP!!! Actually, it appears to be an ad geared towards blacks to get them to sign up.
I certainly wouldn’t characterize it that way.
I agree! Best Ancestry Ad ever!
Made me very emotional I have contributed to Ancestry, awaiting my DNA!
I think it’s a great idea for advertisement, and would definitely inspire people. I like to find old photos of places where I live and try to mesh in modern people and objects. My only misgiving regarding this ad is that encourages people to do ancestry to find out if they have some sort of ‘royal blood’, understating that after many generations the amount of DNA we actually retain from them is really negligible.
I understand the limits, but still generally feel that anything that helps grow the databases isn’t all bad.
Thank you so much, Judy, for publishing this. I have seen it on TV, but for some reason I had not seen the entire advertisement. Every time I’ve seen it, I get the shivers all over. I have shared it on facebook and hope that others watch it.
For Adolph & Trixie, the ad might encourage others to sign up for Ancestry, but whether they do or not, it is the person’s choice. It is no different than other advertisements on TV, encouraging a person to buy something. But the majority of those ads are just about the product. Ancestry has researched and presented a fact of history, to which many people today can relate.