The Tax Forecast:
Raining Refunds

Meet April, your magical guide to simplified tax filing with TaxAct.

Spring is an exciting
time of the year.

The weather is warm, the animals are out, and the smell of taxes fills the air. But don’t you worry. April from TaxAct is here to take all that stress right out of your taxes. She navigates everyone through the ins and outs of filing for less and getting more. And with refunds like one TaxAct gives you, you’ll be saying “Let it rain!” all month long.

The Opportunity

TaxAct’s market share was dwindling as mega-brands like TurboTax gained customers through aggressive marketing. But as they gained customers, they began charging for what should have been free services creating a ‘bait and switch’ perception that tainted the entire industry. We saw an opportunity to stand up for the little guys and help make the maximum refund rain down into their pockets.

The Creative Solution

American filers needed someone they could trust to guide them through the confusion created by other tax filing companies. We began by creating a brand archetype—the Sage—as a proxy for the service itself. We then developed that persona into April, a magical tax expert who clears away the stress of taxes with no-nonsense guidance and a reassuring smile. She also resonates more with the growing number of female filers. April breezes in just in time, sets everything around her to right, and magically makes money fall from the sky. Her TaxAct umbrella, raincoat, and boots make her not just approachable but memorable too, and the sonic branding leaves people singing Ta-Ta-TaxAct all season long.

Why It Works

Following the pandemic, consumers are weary, guarded, and used to constantly resetting expectations about their finances. They’re hungry for new ways to create an immediate – even if temporary – sense of happiness, comfort, nostalgia, and relief. The April campaign creates joy by focusing on how simple and fast it can be to file your taxes, so fast in fact, that it’ll literally start raining down money as soon as you click ‘file now’.

The Results

In the months leading up to tax day, the competition for the eyes and ears of filers grew intense. But no ad burned brighter than TaxAct’s opening spot debuting April. Of the top viewed tax software ads, TaxAct pulled in 73% of all ad views with just one ad. TurboTax and H&R Block drew in just 27% of views with a combined 10 ads. Our careful understanding of emotional analytics and testing audience preference led us to create some especially eye-catching advertising.

Character Development

We worked with our production company and costume designers to craft the perfect look for April. She had to be classy and standout, on brand and on point. We decided on a red Dolce and Gabbana raincoat, Deep Violet rain boots, minimum jewelry, a classic updo and of course - a custom built TaxAct umbrella.

Sonic Branding

With Brand Awareness and due to being outspent by competitors, we knew we needed a way to get the TaxAct brand name into the hearts and minds of tax filers.

We partnered with Sixieme Son to create custom sonic branding that underpins the entire campaign - it can be heard in each and every spot and even extends to the customer service hold music.

Testing Strategy

As the creative work began to take form, we worked with Dumbstruck to test each spot for several key factors. Likeability, brand perception, ad engagement, brand memorability, and ad breakthrough were all measured within our test group to ensure that our campaign was optimized to the best of our ability. By understanding our audience’s preferences, we were able to guide our media planning and flighting as well as build our knowledge bank as we work towards next year’s campaign.

Illustration

Digital Display