How CHEP Made Officeworks' Unconventional EOFY Campaign, Where Everything is Tax-Deductable
Australian retailer, Officeworks, has set itself apart from the crowd with a refreshingly distinctive approach to end of financial year (EOFY) advertising. Stemming from Officeworks’ desire to convey a straightforward message: every item they sell is tax deductible, without any exceptions. This unique idea led to the creation of an 8 ½ hour receipt, which became the centrepiece of the campaign
LBB’s Tom Loudon sat down with Glen Dickson, deputy chief creative officer at CHEP Network, Amy Weston, executive creative officer at CHEP Network, Sophie Smith, head of marketing at Officeworks, and Jessica Richmond, GM of marketing, data & insights at Officeworks, to explore the inspiration, production process, and significance of this groundbreaking ad.
LBB> Where did the concept for this spot originate?
Glen> Officeworks had something really simple to say about their End of Financial Year event. Unlike every other retail store in Australia, every individual item for sale at Officeworks could be tax deductible. Without asterisks or exceptions. So we thought it’d be fun to consider what would happen if someone actually did buy every single item. Then asked for a receipt so they could claim it all. The receipt would take 8 ½ hours to print. So that’s what we set out to film.
LBB> Was it important to you that this campaign distinguished itself from the wave of other EOFY ads?
Sophie> Finding your own tone is paramount during a busy retail period like EOFY. It’s usually wall-to-wall red sale balloons and shouting voiceovers. So we made the distinct choice to take Officeworks in a different direction this year. We knew we had something unique and uncomplicated to say, so we stripped out everything else. I think it’s helped us claim a leadership position during a sales period we feel we have every right to own. Everything’s tax deductible at Officeworks. That’s it.
LBB> Why does this campaign develop a narrative to communicate to customers differently?
Amy> Memorable stories have a beginning, a middle and an end. So does a receipt. Our industry has honed the craft of 30, 15 even two-second storytelling, but we had 8 ½ hours to work with. The story of this long, long interaction between the shopper and his friendly Officeworks store person plays out over a six week campaign period with over 30 individual edits in which seemingly idle chatter is designed to target specific businesses’ EOFY needs.
LBB> How important is this campaign for Officeworks at this time of year?
Jessica> We’re Officeworks – of course tax time is a big deal. We’re so proud of the fact that every single thing here could be claimable. Our shoppers range from individuals and SMEs right through to corporations. We’re talking to everybody, everywhere, about ‘everything’. It’s a big topic to absorb in a brief moment. The simplicity of this 8.5-hour receipt summarises ‘everything’ in an instant and in the most tax-time way possible.
LBB> What was different about this shoot on set?
Amy> Shoots are choreographed chaos and a race against time while the agency and client stand around and watch. On this one, everyone got to stand around and watch. The crew. The first AD. Even the talent. For 8 ½ hours. The camera was set, a customised printer was rigged, and then we all just stood there, observing the two talents, watching a receipt. MOFA director, Sam Holst, described it as a comedy of manners. He fed them talking points, and the pair took us on their own tangent of polite but slightly awkward boredom.
LBB> How does the creative idea intersect with media over the campaign period?
Sophie> Creative agency, CHEP Network, and media agency, Initiative, were highly collaborative – and they needed to be. Every film was a blank canvas for product messaging to slide in. That messaging is audience-specific based on consumer and business needs. Eight films quickly become 38 once you tailor the on-screen graphics to your specific audiences and target them accordingly. Despite the complexity, the post-production process was as smooth as a roll of Officeworks thermal receipt paper.
LBB> Is there anything else interesting about this ad’s production?
Glen> The absence of a script and any need for one made it a super interesting production process. Sam Holst did a brilliant job of casting two actors from vastly different backgrounds. And then just letting them get to know each other on camera as the long receipt spooled out all over the floor. It was nice to make something so paired back. Just actors in a space, really, like a stage production almost.
