Most people don’t like doing tax. But it’s like exercising and everyday cooking – doing them makes life better. This simple logic and a subtle infusion of relatable humour come together in an appealing campaign by Toronto agency, Feast, for the Canada Revenue Agency CRA.

The Silver Linings campaign demonstrates how good things come from doing things we don’t necessarily enjoy, even taxes.

The hero commercial was directed by Feast creative director, Ante Kovac. “The simplicity of the idea aligned perfectly with what the client wanted to communicate to all Canadians – doing your taxes may lead to qualifying for benefits and credits,” Kovac commented. “When building out the other scenarios, we sought no-brainers – when you exercise, you feel better, and cooking a meal leads to you enjoying it with loved ones. Many things can be challenging, and on the other side of these challenges is something better,” he commented.

The full campaign is running in Canada on television, out-of-home, social media, Netflix and YouTube until June 2024. 

Credits

Client: Canada Revenue Agency
Creative Agency: Feast
Chief Creative Officer: Rob Vena
Creative Director: Ante Kovac
Creatives: Ivana Hristova, Michael Knudson & Kate Kim
Chief Strategy Officer: Lucia Mariani
Coordinator: Brey Hodgins
Agency Producer: Samantha Benson

Production: Feast
Director: Ante Kovac
Producer: Jeff Pangman
Director of Photography: Kiel Milligan

Post Production & VFX: Alter Ego
Colourist: Lily Henry
VFX Lead: David Whiteson
Colour Assistant: Malini Khotsiphom
VFX Artist: Nupur Desai
Producer: Spencer Butt
Executive Producer: Hilda Pereira⁣

Editing: Outsider Editorial
Executive Producer: Kayan Choi
Producer: Madison Paquin
Editor: Alison Gordon
Edit Assistant: Daniel Karan

Music & Sound: Boombox Sound
Creative Director: Roger Leavens
Executive Producer: Umber Hamid