Mytax.co.nz creates magic in new campaign via Windup Bird and photographer Jason Dorday

Windup Bird, together with Jason Dorday Photographer, has created a campaign for Mytax.co.nz in a series of three spots, ‘The Magician’, ‘The Ventriloquist’ and ‘The Belly Dancers’.

As exotic as these titles may sound, the ads feature regular New Zealanders and the action is centered mainly in their lounges at home.

VIEW THE MAGICIAN SPOT

VIEW THE VENTRILOQUIST SPOT

VIEW THE BELLY DANCERS SPOT

This is the maiden television advertising campaign for both client and creators.

Last year, John Ferriss, from Windup Bird, wrote and produced a very successful radio campaign for Mytax.co.nz. Midway through the year, Ferriss got together with Dorday to produce a couple of internet videos, demonstrating how to apply and obtain a tax refund online from Mytax.co.nz.

Lester Binns, CEO of Mytax.co.nz, decided to advertise on TV this year, to reach the everyday New Zealander who is likely to be due a tax refund.

The challenge Mytax.co.nz put to John at Windup Bird was to create TVCs based on real people – real people like Mytax.co.nz’s clients – but deliver their stories in a way that grabbed people’s attention.

The outcome was TVCs designed to be entertaining, but the quirkiness of the action and characters serves the client and is built around the copy. In The Magician, Jon Zealando is performing magic tricks to the copy. The ventriloquist’s dummy starts speaking the announcer’s words and the belly dancers are happy about Monique’s windfall.

The voice over on all three commercials was provided by Quentin Bright. Bright’s is the face on the iPad on The Ventriloquist.

Dorday and Ferriss have also produced a series of outtake documentaries utilizing footage from the making of the commercials and interviews with the stars. These people are not actors and they’ve never performed in commercials before. They are professionals in the fields they portray (although John Chapman, in The Ventriloquist is not, however, he is the owner and operator of Johnny, the dummy, who is. John is a musician and did play the banjo for this ad). Their fascinating and entertaining stories will soon be posted on Mytax.co.nz’s website, YouTube channel and Facebook.

Client: Mytax.co.nz

Make-up and hair: Bianca Fallon of Media Makeup