Ancestry has selected a new Publicis Media unit called Publicis Vita, powered by Starcom, to lead its global media account.  

The remit includes media strategy, planning, partnerships, and buying.  

Ancestry spends an estimated $150 million on measured media annually, according to agency research firm COMvergence. About $85 million is earmarked for digital and approximately $110 million is invested in U.S. media. 

The selection was timed to the launch of Ancestry’s new creative campaign, called "It’s A Family Thing," that was developed with Wieden + Kennedy and Blackstone Portfolio Operations Brand Transformation team. W+K won the brand's creative account earlier this year. Blackstone acquired Ancestry in 2020 for $4.7 billion.  

Michael Epstein, Starcom Global CEO, stated, "Our team is excited to explore how the power of family opens new opportunities for connection in media-driven experiences." 

"We've spent the past 2 years transforming our product experience to enable customers to collaborate and share around past and present family traditions and memories,” said Brian Donnelly, chief commercial officer at Ancestry.  

Publicis Vita, added Donnelly, will “amplify the reach and impact of our new creative and brand campaigns.”   

MediaLink advised on the selection process.