Europeans Sing of Their Love for Brexit Britain (With Help From Rick Astley) in Spot by Ancestry

Spot by Droga5 London Highlights How 60% of British DNA Is European

Published On
Jan 29, 2018

Editor's Pick

Ancestry.co.uk is sending a message to Brexit Britain in its new campaign: you may want to leave the EU, but 60% of your DNA is European.

The genealogy site's first work through Droga5 London, promoting its DNA testing, features a series of different Europeans singing to Rick Astley's '80s hit "Together Forever." There's a suave Frenchman, a German butcher, a bus full of Polish people and a team of muddy Irish rugby players in a locker room-- all with completely deadplan expressions as they sing along to the lyrics.

Russell James of Ancestry DNA says in a statement: "Our new campaign rises above the divisiveness of Brexit to celebrate the enduring cultural and ancestral links that millions of Britons have with Europe. At Ancestry, we believe our shared Europeanness is something we can all celebrate, regardless of how we voted in the referendum."

Rick Dodds, executive creative director, Droga5 London, adds: "Every day we wake up to another uncertain headline about Brexit. The opportunity to put a factually reassuring message out there in amongst the sea of uncertainty was a rare one we didn't want to miss. Brexit divided the country on a number of issues, including ethnicity. But as Ancestry data proves that the average Brit is 60% European, ethnicity shouldn't divide us--as we are all diverse. Regardless of how we voted."

The film was directed by Noam Murro and produced by Biscuit Filmworks U.K., with sound design and music by production studio String and Tins, who recruited all the European singers and the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra for the spot.

Mike Bamford, director at String and Tins, reveals that all the singers were filmed on location. "Not everyone was familiar with the eighties track which is more famous in the U.K. than Europe, so we had a full day of vocal coaching to run through the lyrics. In a few cases, the actors weren't English speakers at all and I had to direct them through translators. The Italian grandmother, one of the most charming people on the shoot, had her husband write out the lyrics in Italian phonetics for her to learn."

Credits

Date
Jan 29, 2018
Agency :
Droga5-London
Brand :
Ancestry.co.uk
Client :
Ancestry.co.uk
Chief Creative Officer :
David Kolbusz
Executive Creative Director :
Rick Dodds
Executive Creative Director :
Steve Howell
Senior Art Director :
Charlene Chandrasekaran
Senior Copywriter :
Dan Morris
Account Director :
Natasha Rich
Social Strategist :
Farah Dibb
Agency Producer :
Gemma Knight
Director :
Noam Murro
Production Company :
Biscuit Filmworks UK
Executive Producer :
Rupert Reynolds-MacLean
Producer :
Cathy Green
Production Designer :
John Beard
Editor :
Ed Cheeseman
Edit Company :
Final Cut
Post Production :
Electric Theatre Company
Sound Design :
Mike Bamford
Sound Design :
String and Tins
Music Negotiator :
Hywel Evans
Music Negotiator :
Run! Get! Music!
Typographer :
Aithche Smyth
Director, Photography :
Jo Willems

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