Love and taxes

On Wednesday - St Valentine’s Day - our “Love the Taxman” campaign, which runs until the 28th February, saw “Mr Taxman” (better known as Idols finalist Jacques Terblanche), accompanied by a bevy of beauties, handing out chocolate heart cards to motorists around Johannesburg. The purpose was to remind people of the tax benefits available to encourage them to save towards their retirement, and to visit the specially-developed website, www.lovethetaxman.co.za.

Using an integrated approach, the campaign also makes use of below-the-line components such as spoof classified newspaper ads in the personal columns on Valentine’s Day, with messages such as:

Mr Taxman, Oh Mr Taxman.

I’ll be your valentine and you’ll be mine.
You’ll give me tax back and I’ll feel fine.
With my Liberty Personal Pension I know I can.

www.lovethetaxman.co.za

The outdoor element of the campaign uses strategically placed billboard advertisements, featuring lines such as: “Save R500pm towards retirement for as little as R300pm - Do the Maths, love the tax man” and “Get tax back. Offer closes 28th February”.

A radio advert adapts the 1954 song Mr Sandman into Mr Taxman, and is currently being played across national and regional radio stations.

A small plane also flew over Liberty Life Wanderers at the final one-day international against Pakistan on Wednesday, and drew hearts in the sky - adding a guerrilla marketing element to the campaign for Valentine’s Day.

Although a quirky campaign, the marketing message is rooted in sobering statistics: currently, just 6% of South Africans can afford to retire comfortably. Forty seven percent will be dependent on relatives, 31% forced to continue working or start new careers, and 16% will be dependent on the state pension - a meagre R820 per month.