Stories of US

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, much of the country is looking back through broad national narratives. Ancestry offers a more personal way in: helping people discover how their families have made a mark in American history.
The Stories of US uncovers stories of everyday Americans whose lives helped shape the nation. Drawing on Ancestry’s archive of immigration, military, census, newspaper, and family records, the initiative moves beyond famous figures to reveal the individual experiences behind the everyday American.
Developed under CMO Attica Jaques, the campaign reinforces Ancestry’s unique value proposition that the U.S. is built on its people, who each have a personal story. The initiative launched nationally through an integrated marketing effort spanning out-of-home advertising, digital media, social platforms, CRM, public relations, and experiential activations. A dedicated online hub serves as the campaign’s centerpiece, housing stories that invite visitors to explore the people and moments behind the nation’s history while beginning their own journey of discovery.
Local activations in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia invited people to uncover their ties to the past. Among the campaign’s most notable stories is that of Wesley A. Williams, the FDNY’s first Black officer. Ancestry used archival research to uncover the story of Williams’ heroic rescue of a Lower East Side family during a 1929 fire and reunited descendants connected to the event nearly a century later. In Chicago, the company partnered with historian Shermann “Dilla” Thomas and the YWCA to create “The Women Who Built Chicago,” an initiative highlighting women whose contributions to the city’s growth and cultural development have often gone unrecognized.
At its core, The Stories of US reinforces Ancestry’s brand purpose: helping people discover, preserve, and share their family stories. The effort has generated more than 1.4 billion impressions, over 1,000 earned media placements, and more than one million new-to-brand visitors.