Digital tax and accounting service Hnry has launched a national campaign ahead of tax season via Wellington-based Couch Kumara, bringing its tongue-in-cheek ‘Soul Trader’ to screens, streets and speakers as part of a million-dollar media buy.
At the centre of the campaign is Hnry’s Grim Reaper-inspired character, whose contempt for paperwork and relatable tax-time woes serve as a nod to the realities of tax admin, playing on the inevitability of death and taxes.
Originally one of 30 low-budget creative concepts developed and tested by Hnry’s mostly in-house team last year, the ‘Soul Trader’ stood out for its relatability through successful performance metrics. After emerging as a top performer, the character earned a national rollout through Hnry.
“We never set out to put Death in the spotlight. But data-driven marketers and organisations can often find themselves in strange circumstances, and sometimes you have to let the data lead you,” Brandon Palmer, head of marketing at Hnry Australia said.
“The traditional marketing model often involves sinking millions into creative before any results are known – but at Hnry, we flip that model on its head. We work fast, test low-cost creative, and scale spend for the ideas that perform. That gives us the confidence that when we put above the line spend behind something, it’s already proven that it resonates with our audience”.
The new campaign builds on a digital run in New Zealand and a pilot in Queensland.
Now rolling out nationally, the campaign will air across five major BVOD providers, alongside out-of-home placements in Sydney and Melbourne, from bus backs to tram sides, plus a targeted Spotify audio buy.
“Our best-performing work has always come from putting real customers at the centre of the story. Sole traders are defined by passion, lifestyle, and independence, but we know tax and financial admin can provide unnecessary challenges. The ‘Soul Trader’ is our playful take on the same testimonial style that’s always worked for us – an unexpected character with familiar challenges and a genuine love for his line of work. It’s funny, it’s self-aware, and it still tells the same story: Hnry gives sole traders the freedom to focus on what they do best and never think about tax again,” Palmer added.
Henry was founded in New Zealand in 2017 and has been oeprating in Australia since 2021.
The ‘Soul Trader’ is primed to become a long-term fixture of Hnry’s brand platform.
Credits:
Client: Hnry Australia
Creative: Michael Beveridge
Production: Couch Kumara
