2 Lies & A Leaf - Ancestry | Clapboard Ad Archive

The 2023 Ancestry campaign 2 Lies & A Leaf harnesses the cultural currency of television personalities Sarah Hyland and Wells Adams to illuminate the often overlooked fascination with personal genealogy, transforming family history from a niche interest into a mainstream narrative of discovery and identity. By centering the campaign on these newlyweds, known respectively for Modern Family and Bachelor in Paradise, the brand leverages their broad appeal to bridge the gap between celebrity culture and everyday curiosity about heritage, underscoring a revealing statistic from Ancestry’s own research that half of Americans know more about fictional TV family trees than their own real lineage. This insight drives the campaign’s core creative concept, positioning Ancestry as the indispensable tool for unearthing compelling family stories marked by triumphs, twists, and even scandals that rival scripted drama. The film format takes the shape of a hybrid documentary and social experiment, capturing authentic reactions as Sarah and Wells explore their roots, intertwining Sarah’s character Haley Dunphy’s narrative with Wells’ bartending persona and their real histories to create a layered storytelling experience that is both relatable and aspirational. The campaign’s timing, as the couple embarks on building their future, adds emotional resonance by connecting personal discovery with legacy and belonging, inviting audiences to consider their own family histories as dynamic and binge-worthy as their favorite shows. Ancestry’s vast database of historical records, family trees, and DNA technology is positioned not merely as a product but as an enabler of self-knowledge and emotional connection, situating the brand firmly within the professional services market while humanizing the genealogical journey. What Clapboard’s taxonomy would classify as FORMAT#8—Ongoing Characters or Celebrities—drives brand recall through a recurring presence that enhances credibility and viewer engagement, eschewing traditional problem-solution narratives in favor of genuine curiosity and personality-led storytelling. Clapboard rates this campaign 71/100. This campaign matters to the industry because it demonstrates how professional services brands can harness celebrity-led narratives to transform complex, data-driven offerings into culturally resonant stories that engage emotionally and extend the relevance of genealogy beyond mere record-keeping.