Axis Mutual Fund shares an antidote to the tax fever

To make people aware of tax savings, Axis Mutual Fund took a satirical way in a new campaign, featuring the antics of a popular detective and an emphatic news anchor.

 The first quarter of the year is a stressful time for most as people are forced to find the time and think about taxes. Putting the brain into this matter is not an easy task, so it’s always a good idea to look for experts to lean on. Here, wide-ranging options crop up, leading to even more stress. Introducing the concept of Tax Fever in a new brand campaign, Axis Mutual Fund focuses on the importance of planning in advance to ensure wealth generation alongside tax saving.

Poring over their primary research data, Axis Mutual Fund realised that most individuals have at least once been through the experience of having a significant amount cut as tax from their earnings, due to not investing in tax-saving products/investing at the last moment. Armed with this insight, the team sat down to create a tax season campaign narrative that could invoke the feeling of responsibility among potential customers.

Two key aspects put forth in the campaign are: People end up paying a lump sum at one go, instead of spacing out our investments and that they are unable to plan for a more worthy investment plan that might help them create wealth as well as save tax. The campaign was aimed to target the habit of procrastination that leads to people getting bitten by the tax fever bug. It’s like a disease that people deal with reactively rather than proactively, the brand realised. 

This opened up a window for the team to plug in tax saving options into the campaign narrative. They likened the tax season to the yearly flu and timely investment to the vaccination that can help prevent persons from being susceptible to the tax fever. With the campaign, the brand asks the viewers: Why do you go through the same cycle of procrastination-panic-last minute tax investments every year? Why not invest within time to mitigate the effects of tax fever?

Two characters, a popular detective and an emphatic news anchor have been used in the campaign to reiterate the brand’s message strongly and effectively. The advertising trope used by the brand leverages on the popular content format of using pop culture references in brand communication. The popular content format is one that ignites intrigue in viewers, amping up the relatability factor.

Axis Mutual Fund’s attempt to create awareness around the issue of tax investment has been executed in a comical and attention-grabber manner.