When Ryan Reynolds isn’t acting, he’s usually busy promoting one of his many ventures. But this time, it’s not his gin brand or wifey Blake Lively’s legal drama – it’s his own football club, Wrexham AFC.
And he’s not alone. Business partner and co-owner Rob McElhenney is right there with him, before being transported back to the 1700s. Reynolds and McElhenney’s football club has teamed up with Ancestry, the platform that allows users to uncover their family tree and ethnicity through historical records.
The spot opens at the Wrexham training academy, where Reynolds admires the new Ancestry-branded kits (not the kids), before confessing his obsession with the ancestor tracking app to McElhenney.
‘Innocent George’ aka Innocent Rob’
The 49-year-old then discovers his 5x great-grandfather, “Innocent George,” who is essentially Rob reimagined as “Innocent Rob,” an 18th-century European aristocrat complete with a decorative tricorne hat and feathers. The dream sequence ends with the ancestor calling his 5x grandson (Reynolds) a “profound d**k.”
Check out the spot below to see Reynolds’ response:
The campaign lands ahead of the Season 5 premiere of Welcome to Wrexham on May 14.
CMO opens to Mediaweek
Mediaweek spoke with Ancestry’s chief marketing officer, Attica Jaques, who said the partnership was built on shared values around storytelling, legacy and community.
Attica Jaques
“The partnership between Wrexham AFC, the world’s third-oldest professional football club, and Ancestry, the global leader in family history, came from a place of shared values,” Jaques said.
“At Ancestry, we believe that every story, like every family, has a powerful origin, which is why we’re proud to partner with Wrexham AFC, which exemplifies resilience, pride, and the generations that shape us.”
Ryan loves tracking his ancestors
Jaques added that Reynolds’ genuine use of the platform gave the campaign its creative spark.
“Ryan’s genuine obsession with his own discovery, unearthing his 5x great-grandfather, ‘Innocent George,’ provided a level of authenticity that is rarely achievable,” she said.
That authenticity, she said, allowed Ancestry to create work that feels naturally connected to Reynolds, McElhenney and the world of Wrexham.
“Having a co-chairman who fully understands the emotional ‘stop everything’ moment of an Ancestry discovery meant we could produce content like ‘Innocent Rob.’”
Opening the door to new audiences
For Ancestry, the true success metric is about introducing family history to a broader global audience through entertainment and fandom.
“Success for this partnership is about opening the door to a new audience who is interested in family history and inspiring them to discover more about their own family,” Jaques said.
She added that the comedic chemistry and storytelling power of Reynolds and McElhenney made the campaign feel like a natural extension for fans.
Jaques said the end goal is to make family history feel accessible, emotional and fun.
“We want to spark curiosity around family history and show that it’s about so much more than names and dates on a historical record, it’s about the stories that shape who we are,” she said.
Jaques hopes that the collaboration encourages Wrexham fans to explore their family stories and curate a deeper connection to where they come from.
Top Image: Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds