The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) made population records from the 1950 Census available to the public for the first time this year, 2022. Ancestry wanted to promote this new data set and encourage paid and free users alike to explore what they can find about their parents and grandparents. In partnership with Ancestry’s internal copywriter, I conceived and created all visuals for the 30s TV commercial seen below.

I acted as creative lead for the project on the agency and execution side. I selected and curated images, explored and applied art direction, and curated both voice-over options and music. I led a team of 3 animators and a fellow art director.

VISUAL TREATMENT AND IMAGE SELECTION

A key challenge was sourcing imagery from the 1950s. It required balancing authenticity, quality, storytelling and suitability for the visual treatment. Below pairs the original photo with the final frame treatment and colorization.