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H&R Block is preparing Canadians for tax season with a new consumer campaign that communicates the company’s tax expertise and convenience, as well as a student campaign that focuses on its quick tax return service.
The consumer campaign from Due North Communications includes candid camera-styleTV spots as well as radio, direct mail, point-of-sale and online ads.
Launched Thursday, one TV spot opens with a man planting a $20 bill attached to a string in a public park fountain. As people try to grab the money, it is pulled from their reach.
“Getting money shouldn’t be so hard, especially when it’s yours to begin with, like your tax refund,” says the male voiceover. “With H&R Block’s instant cash back, walk in with your taxes, walk out with your money.”
“The big idea behind the ad is that it really shouldn’t be that hard to get money, especially when it’s your own,” said Jocelyn Da Silva, marketing manager for H&R Block Canada. “We wanted to show people kind of struggling to get money.”
The ad combines real actors and everyday people, who signed a release and were compensated for their participation in the spot, said Da Silva.
The spot is running in tandem with the “Stuck Money” spot that launched last year and shows people struggling to pull cash out from under a large planter. Due North Communications also handled the buy.
The student campaign consists of campus newspaper ads, backlit posters, Facebook ads and TV spots that promote the microsite RefundRoadTrip.ca.
The site features the Refund Road Trip series, which follows five “students” who have pooled their tax refund to embark on a five-day RV trip throughout Eastern Canada.
One to two-minute episodes will be uploaded to the site every few days throughout tax season “to encourage people to come back to find out what happens next in this adventure,” said Da Silva.
In addition, visitors to the site can sign up for the Refund Road Trip contest. To increase their odds of winning, visitors can build their own trip, plot their route on the map, upload photos and videos, and invite friends along for the ride. All ballots received will be included in a random draw for the $5,000 grand prize.
A refund calculator, a tax check list, and service information can also be found on the site.
