The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is trying to bring some humour to tax season in its latest advertising campaign.

The message of the CRA’s “Silver Linings” campaign is that good things can come from things that aren’t necessarily enjoyable, including completing our taxes. The campaign seeks to highlight the benefits and credits that people receive after completing their taxes on time.

Developed by Toronto creative agency Feast, the campaign includes a 30-second spot that shows how beneficial various activities are that people would nevertheless rather not be doing.

The campaign was developed this year because the CRA believed its advertising of the benefits and credits available during tax season was due for a refresh. Feast then developed the “Silver Linings” idea, which tested well during creative concept testing.

The CRA says the campaign is set up to convey an understanding that doing taxes can feel frustrating, but that there’s an upside when you qualify for a benefit or credit after completing them. The company wanted to show that it understands people see taxes as challenging and daunting with little reward, and offers information to ease this process.

“The simplicity of the idea aligned perfectly with what the client wanted to communicate to all Canadians,” Feast creative director Ante Kovac says .“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.”

Rather than emulating previous campaigns that featured real people discussing how tax benefits and credits helped them, the CRA’s new creative work aimed for relatability through humorous fictional scenarios about everyday activities. It’s set up to capture attention, communicate the CRA’s core message and direct audiences to online resources where they can learn more about credits and benefits available to them.

The “Silver Linings” campaign includes components on TV, out-of-home, social media, Netflix and YouTube. The campaign launched in February and will run until June.

The campaign’s media buy was handled by Cossette, which is the Government of Canada’s AOR.