I’m almost speechless.

Where to start?

So FriendsReunited is now owned by Brightsolid, a subsidiary of comic publisher DC Thompson, which paid £25 million in August but still hasn’t added the sites to the official website. (edit: This is due to the fact the purchase is being looked at by regulators, and is therefore not complete). And their first move is to buy traditional TV advertising?

Unless…

The fact that Brightsolid owns findmypast.com and the advert clearly positions GenesReunited on an equal footing to FriendsReunited gives one indication where things are going. And GR has around 10 million registered members, so there’s some potential there.

Which is why the advert seems to channel the same style and messaging as ads for stairlifts and services which will write your will. But that group already has their own social network if they’re not keen on Facebook.

So ignore FriendsReunited – as most people have. First Myspace, then Facebook came and won that battle, and nothing short of a new proposition will unsettle them. It’s in the genes, and white-label dating sites that Brightsolid will have seen the value of the purchase. The only reason I can see for influding even a mention of FriendsReunited in the advert is a more familiar name to draw people into GenesReunited. Although I’m not convinced that a social network mostly populated by tumbleweed billowing across the plains is an association really worth making…