• by Larissa Faw , February 1, 2018

While many tax software programs are using darker advertising messages to entice potential prospects into believing they’re not prepared to do their taxes, Credit Karma and its agency, Funworks, are moving in the opposite direction with the "Max Your Tax Karma" campaign.

The creative positions good karma — in the form of an unexpected tax refund — as something that can come from a trying or difficult moment from the previous year. That is, of course, if a tax return is filed correctly with the IRS. 

For example, one spot shows how suffering sleepless nights as the result of a new baby can bring forth a refund that delivers a vacation away from said crying baby.

The media buy is targeting Millennials across social channels including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, and will be served to 80 million Credit Karma users during the Super Bowl. 

This is the first time Credit Karma is aligning with the big game, says Paul Charney, chief executive officer, Funworks, adding that the creative is featured on the YouTube AdBlitz 2018 Super Bowl Commercials.

"The strategy is to figure out how to relate filing your taxes with a Millennial generation," says Charney. "It became apparent that filing your taxes is really about documenting in numbers your experiences over the past year, and the money returned will inform new experiences in the coming one." 

This is Funworks’s first project with the company and the biggest ”non-credit score” campaign Credit Karma has created and invested in.