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This is Tax Break-Up: TurboTax Exerts Early Influence on Tax Service Brand Choice

TurboTax is stirring up the tax season with a fresh, early twist, with its ad campaign featuring Workaholics star Adam DeVine. 

The “Tax Break-Up” campaign, developed with creative agency R/GA, reimagines switching tax services as a romantic split, complete with a 90’s boy-band-like ditty. 

Launching in October rather than in the new year, TurboTax aims to present their brand benefits ahead of the holidays, a time during which research shows many consumers evaluate tax service alternatives.

Here’s what iSpot’s Creative Assessment platform revealed on actual viewer response to the campaign.

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The Details:

  • American viewers responded well to the musical concept which stood out as the Single Best Thing about the new TurboTax ads at a disproportionately high rate vs other tax service ads over the past year:

    • The characters were also more forward in the shorter :15 cut with the new approach paying off well. Both the :15 and :30 spots easily outperformed category norms in all performance areas. Importantly, the messaging by TurboTax was Relevant to viewers when aired (even in October).
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  • The shorter form “Tax Break-Up” drove higher overall intent (49%, +9 pts over norm), suggesting opportunity for TurboTax to favor this spot to optimize the budget and/or maximize reach:

    • However, the :30 version found a very positive audience among males 21-49 and still drove above-norm consideration (at 45%), pointing to opportunity for the brand to include the :30 in some media rotations and/or to use this creative for targeting younger men.

    • iSpot media measurement reports that through 10/9/24, linear Spend by the brand has been heavily concentrated against the :30 creative while Impression delivery was less skewed.
  • Both ads posted solid unaided recall (at tax service norms), with second-by-second trace results showing a drop in engagement after the fog scene in the :30 while engagement throughout the :15 rose steadily:

    • Viewer comments on the :15 “Tax Break-Up” reflect appreciation for the lighthearted approach with the music feeling generally good/soothing for the (stressful) product category. Although Adam DeVine was not always identified, the humor was appealing to most and certainly helped hold viewer Attention.
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Sample viewer comments on the :15 “Tax Break-Up” (among the 441 received):

“The music is so soothing and makes me want to dance to the commercial and learn what the ad is all about. It works so perfectly for TurboTax. It is a charming, funny, and good commercial.”
Male 36-49

“Started okay then turned into a parody of a musical. I want someone serious when it comes to taxes. As a retired CPA, I would want clients to know that I take their tax prep seriously.”
Female 50+

“It is a very clever ad. I thought it was very unique and a roundabout way to discuss who you will use for tax preparation. I liked the ad.”
Male 50+ 

“Get your taxes done right and they will match or make better what you paid to prepare your taxes last year.”
Female 21-35

“Kind of juxtaposed a traditional tax preparer with “new” TurboTax, which it portrayed as liberating.”
Male 50+ 

“It’s fun and entertaining and easy to understand what they are advertising.”
Male 36-49

  • Given airing during the American election season, it is good news that both new spots performed positively across American political party affiliation:

    • This affords a broader selection of programming in media plans for TurboTax.
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  • The charts below plot the first TurboTax ads for the 2024 tax year against the top performers of last tax season:

    • The :15 “Tax Break-Up” saw Top 2 Box purchase/visit intent match last season’s ad offering $100 instantly for filing by March 31st, as well as the absolutely free (for some filers) “Snap Your W-2.”
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Advertisers need to identify the creative that will drive business outcomes and ensure that in-market execution aligns against the highest potential ads.

Schedule a demo to find out how your brand can partner with iSpot to quickly solve both challenges simultaneously, delivering high-performing creative while boosting the effectiveness of planning and in-market execution to achieve—and outperform—campaign objectives.

Creative Agency: Paramount Brand Studio