The Drum Awards for Marketing - Extended Deadline

-d -h -min -sec

Author

By Kyle O'Brien, Creative Works Editor

January 4, 2017 | 6 min read

Doing your taxes is never fun, but according to a new series of spots, TurboTax can make tackling your taxes a heck of a lot easier.

The “Relax, There’s TurboTax” campaign kicked off over the new year and will ramp up during tax season and even be featured during the Super Bowl. The campaign demonstrates that with TurboTax by Intuit Inc., taxpayers are in charge, but never alone, as they prepare their taxes. The spots highlight a new feature, SmartLook, providing customers in-product access to a live, one-way video connection to a TurboTax expert or credentialed CPA or enrolled agent, to get real-time, personalized answers.

The campaign includes five broadcast spots, in both English and Spanish, and web films showing reassuring conversations that happen between TurboTax experts and customers, played by celebrities Kathy Bates, DJ Khaled, David Ortiz and Karla Souza. Each celebrity has an over-the-top tax situation, brought to life through playful storylines. In each ad, the celebrity asks a unique question to an unflappable TurboTax expert, who answers even the toughest question in stride.

“Kathy Bates Scary Dependents” shows the sometimes horror actor asking if she can claim the creepy ghosts kids in her new house as dependents. “David Ortiz New Job” shows the retired slugger as a tennis instructor who blasts balls all over the country club. “DJ Khaled The Exercise Program” shows the hefty producer and DJ running an exercise program with plenty of bling, and “Karla Souza Dependientes” shows the actress asking about her dependents in Spanish.

“This year’s campaign is the next step in redefining the TurboTax brand by proving that TurboTax has human help on demand so that people know they’re never alone,” said Greg Johnson, senior vice president of marketing for Intuit TurboTax. “The campaign works to overcome the biggest barrier to those who don’t use software today. It demonstrates that TurboTax can serve a broad range of taxpayers, including Latinos, self-employed or those who’ve had life changes, by providing immediate access to expert assurance. With TurboTax, there’s a human, on demand in the palm of your hand.”

The campaign includes media integrations, digital and social activations and will continue throughout the 2017 tax season in sports, entertainment and cultural moments, including a 45-second ad during the Super Bowl.

VIDEO

Creative Directors

Erik Fahrenkopf, Max Stinson

Copywriters

Jarrod Higgins (DJ Khaled The Exercise Program, David Ortiz New Job)

Wayne Ching (Kathy Bates Scary Dependents)

Art Directors

Brandon Viney (DJ Khaled The Exercise Program, David Ortiz New Job)

Susan Land (Kathy Bates Scary Dependents)

Producer

Jeff Selis

Account Team

Courtney Nelson / Vanessa Miller / Corey Woodson / Alex Fitch

Business Affairs

Karen Roche

Head of Production

Ben Grylewicz

Studio

Amy Streger / Eric Reigert / Dana Beaty

Project Manager

Annie Quach

PRODUCTION

Production Company

Smuggler

Director

Ivan Zachariáš

Co-Founder

Brian Carmody

Executive Producer

Allison Kunzman

Line Producer

Nick Landon

Cinematographer

Adam Kimmel

1st Asst. Director

Bobby Phillips

Production Designer

Jeremy Hindle

Key Costumer

Courtney Hoffman

EDITORIAL

Editorial Company

Robota

Editor

Filip Malasek

VFX & Design

VFX Company

The Mill

Senior Producer

Anastasia von Rahl

Production Coordinator

Chris Lewis

Shoot Supervisor

Tim Davies / James Allen

Creative Director

Tim Davies

2D Lead Artist

James Allen

2D Artists

Becky Porter / Don Kim / Jeff Langlois / John Shirley / Kelsey Napier / Krysten Richardson / Peter Sidoriak / Tim Davies / Tim Robbins / Rob Winfield / Anthony Petitti / Matthew Dobrez / Adam Lambert

3D Artists

Blake Guest (Previz)

Motion Graphics

Jason Kang / Greg Park

Colour

Colour Company

The Mill

Executive Producer, Colour

Thatcher Peterson

Colour Producer

Diane Valera

Production Coordinator, Colour:

Robert Cohen

Colourist

Greg Reese / Adam Scott

SOUND DESIGN

Music+Sound Company

Pefflabs, Inc.

Sound Designer

Jeff Sudakin

MIX

Mix Company

LIME Studios

Audio Mixer

Sam Casas

Audio Assistant

Lisa Mermelstien

Executive Producer

Susie Boyajan

Producer

Kayla Phungglan

HM Production (Karla Souza Dependientes & David Ortiz Nuevo Trabajo)

Grupo Gallegos

Creative Directors

Carlos Tornell

Copywriter

Manolo Vargas / Gabriel Ascencio

Art Director

Cristian Orozco

Account Team

Jose Pablo Rodriguez

Executive Creative Directors

Sebastian Garin

Head of Production

Carlos Barciela

Strategic Planning

Silvina Cendra

Music Company (Temporada de Impuestos con TurboTax y Karla Souza)

Music+Sound Company

Major Tom

Managing Director

Mark Kirby

Advertising

More from Advertising

View all