Epic the Irish Emigration Museum and its agency The Public House has rolled out a campaign along with the Irish Family History Centre to inform country singer Taylor Swift of her Irish ancestry. The museum’s internal genealogy experts discovered a love story from 188 years ago, 172 years before Taylor Swift’s debut hit, Love Story. Taylor’s heritage can be traced back to her great-great-great-grandparents, unknown to each other at the time.
Dressmaker Susan Davis and weaver Francis Gwynn both boarded the ship Amy, departing Derry, destined for Philadelphia. Their story following a chance encounter was brought to life by illustrator Lauren O’Neill. She has drawn on their professions to find a thread that connects their lives. The campaign features in copy-driven OOH ads, as well as a Susan Davis song sung by Allie Sherlock on TikTok that reimagines the ancestral event.
Roots
All content leads to Epic’s website, where Swift’s heritage is shared in detail. The museum invited Swifties to discover more about the pop megastar on a special tour. Aileesh Carew, CEO, Epic, said that in tracing Taylor Swift’s roots back to 1836, the museum shows its role in preserving the rich tapestry of our past, and ensures each thread contributes to history.
