The Poetry of DNA

When tasked with creating a video My Heritage DNA, a new challenger brand in the competitive DNA testing space, we reflected on the level of anxiety and tension today around the subject of cultural and racial identity. During these conversations we thought, can DNA testing help to create greater personal awareness and social understanding? It wasn’t about using a ‘celebrity’ or ‘co-opting’ a cultural moment. It was about finding an authentic voice who could speak credibly and passionately to the issue. After considering many options, the creative team suggested a collaboration with Prince Ea. After seeing his videos that tackle social conversations ranging from the environment, to education and race itself, we were convinced he was the right person to amplify the message. It took a confident client to give Prince Ea the creative license to articulate this issue in his own words and not as ‘advertising copy.’ He wrote the monologue himself and we created a platform for him to share his very personal experiences, including racism itself. A pivotal point in the monologue is Prince Ea’s idea that ‘Racism is very real, but race is a figment of our collective imagination.’ This became the essence of the MyHeritage DNA message and we believe sharing this message with as many people as possible has the potential to create a genuine connection between commerce and societal challenges that is genuine, passionate and most importantly—authentic. Film advertisement created by Berlin Cameron, United States for MyHeritage DNA, within the category: Public Interest, NGO.