• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, June 29, 2017

In an inspired match between the nature of its services and the July 4^th holiday, Ancestry.com has tapped descendants of the signers of the Declaration of Independence for a TV campaign tied to Independence Day.

The online company that enables people to trace their family trees and/or get their DNA analyzed to determine their “genetic communities” recruited 29 real ancestors of the document’s signers to recreate John Trumbull’s iconic painting of the historic moment of the signing.  

The live recreation of the painting’s tableau, backed by a voiceover of individual descendants reciting parts of the revolutionary opening lines of the Declaration, was captured for a  TV ad (See 60-second version below; there’s also a 30-second version.) 

The creative, from Droga5, makes a strong statement about the nation’s diversity, simply by showing the group of male and female descendants, whose origins include Caucasian, African American, Hispanic, Filipino, Native American and Korean, according to Ancestry.

“The Fourth of July is a time of great national pride, and our new campaign is a portrait of how America has evolved,” said Ancestry CMO Vineet Mehra. “Diversity isn't just something we value as Americans; it's quite literally part of who we are. We’re living at a time when many people feel disconnected from one another, and one of the most powerful things we can do is to show how connected we really are.”

“In addition to celebrating and illuminating both America’s history and its present-day diversity, we want to use this moment to illustrate the incredible discoveries that await when we look back into our own past: the learnings, insights and connections that can inspire our future, individually and collectively,” adds Tim Gordon, executive creative director, Droga5. 

The spots will air today through July 13 in programs including “60 Minutes,” “American Ninja Warrior,” “Macy’s’ 4^th of July Fireworks Spectacular” and “America’s Got Talent.”