Ancestry launches new data-driven ‘Life Stages’ digital content series via OMD and hellofuture.tv
Ancestry has announced the launch of a new, three-part digital content series, “Life Stages,” based on data and insights from OMD and produced by branded video agency hellofuture.tv. The Australian-made videos follow the brand’s award-winning online series “It’s a Small World” and further demonstrate Ancestry’s commitment to producing local content.
Using brand tracker, social listening and keyword research, OMD Create (OMD’s new integrated creative hub) identified three key stages in life when a sense of belonging is most important to us – travelling, impending marriage and being part of a multi-generational family – to form the basis of the series.
Says Nigel Seeto, marketing director at Ancestry: “The AncestryDNA consumer test plays a key role in self-discovery and identity, and it’s always a privilege to witness and share some of these life-changing stories. The data-driven approach of this project helped us uncover ideal moments in time for DNA discovery, and the incredible, real-life stories we featured did the rest.”
Each of the episodes in “Life Stages” follows the AncestryDNA stories of Australians as they uncover heritage they never even knew they had. Dennis and Anastasia discover their ancestral origins through AncestryDNA and make plans to visit those places on their trips around the world; engaged couple Peter and Tijana uncover their diverse ethnic origins before they get married; and the Cowie family’s incredible, tear-jerking family connection takes them on a journey to the other side of the world.
Says Katy Eng, director of content strategy at OMD Create: “Analysing social buzz and keyword behaviour before the camera starts rolling is becoming the new normal. The initial results we’re seeing are really encouraging, as we can already start to quantify the creative and media return of this kind of data investment.”
Working with OMD, Ancestry tasked video agency, hellofuture.tv, to make the films engaging and enlightening, but ultimately relatable as human stories of self-discovery.
Says Pablo Jeffress, director and founder at hellofuture.tv: “AncestryDNA is less of a product and more of an experience. Finding out who you are is a really personal journey, so we’re privileged to be allowed to film and document these stories. The best part of this process was being able to come back later and interview the members to see how their world view has changed based on their results; it’s all a very real, human experience.”
Media Agency: OMD (Create)
Director of Content Strategy: Katy Eng
Production Company: hellofuture.tv
Exec Producer: Emily Bull
Creative Director/Director: Pablo Jeffress
DOP: Adam Sharman
Edit: Angellica von Helle
Client: Ancestry
Country Manager: Kelly Godfrey
Senior Director, Programming: Brad Argent
Marketing Director: Nigel Seeto
Marketing Manager: Amy Pike
Senior Manager, Communications: Bryony Partridge
PR Agency: Howorth Communications