Aussies Take a Crack at Doing Their Own Tax Returns in Game Show-Inspired Spot for H&R Block

With millions of Aussies set to miss out on potentially millions of deductions when completing their tax returns online, H&R Block is encouraging them to ‘Don’t wing it, Ka-ching it’ in an integrated campaign from The Works, part of Capgemini.

Drawing inspiration from the sometimes bizarre and offbeat Japanese game shows, the commercial sets out to dramatise how H&R Block can take away the stressful and often confusing process of completing your tax returns, while maximising deductions to ensure you get the maximum refund you are entitled to.

The fictitious ‘Wing It’ game show provides the backdrop for an unsuspecting taxpayer trying to complete his return on the government portal, at the same time as being confronted with a series of terrifying obstacles such as the ‘Deducti-balls’, ‘Adjusted net income’ and ‘Capital gains canon’.

The campaign includes a 30-second commercial with a 15-second cut down, radio, digital, OOH and an Instagram-based social game with media by PHD and PR from Candid Communications.

It takes years of training to become a tax expert - you can’t just ‘wing it’. That is why the team at H&R Block are passionately committed to help clients maximise their tax returns. With over 50 years of experience, they help clients with expert knowledge and personalised advice, supported by a range of service and product options tailored to suit your needs and budget.

Damian Pincus, creative partner at The Works, said: “This campaign is something of a departure to traditional tax advertising. We wanted to bring a sense of fun and excitement into the work and clearly show that while doing your own tax online is a tempting option, it’s not worth winging it and missing out on money you’re entitled to.”

Louise Cummins, marketing and digital innovations director at H&R Block added: “Research shows a quarter of Aussies will make mistakes while doing their tax return online, and 60 percent feel unsure of the entitlements they can claim. It takes years of training to become a tax professional, so we shouldn’t play games and think we know better when it comes to doing our taxes.”

South Australian directing duo Dinosaur, creators of the SBS and Netflix global cult hit comedy show Danger, and production company Hooves collaborated with The Works on the commercial.