Adrien Brody’s TurboTax Ad Gets Five Stars from Industry Insiders

The Brutalist star Adrien Brody suffuses his signature intensity and emotion to TurboTax’s Super Bowl LX spot—to great comedic effect. Cast as himself preparing for a film role in which he’ll play a TurboTax expert, Brody goes a little, shall we say, over the top. There’s a moody monologue delivered during a downpour, references to “the pain of taxes,” and even a rageful outburst. Behind the camera, the filmmaker and a TurboTax rep urge Brody to tone it down. But he just can’t help himself. 

Produced in partnership with indie agency R/GA, ad industry creatives widely lauded the campaign. 

“This is smart in so many ways. With taxes looming, the timing is perfect. The footage up front is truly cinematic and the black and white film will grab attention in the clutter of a colorful game and colorful commercials,” said Wayne Best, chief creative officer, VML New York. Plus, he added, “Adrian Brody is phenomenal. And the idea is a good one.”

Above all, creatives lauded the casting of Brody and the picture he’s able to paint for the brand’s narrative. “This will be one of the most effective and logical uses of celebrity talent for the big game,” said Jason Harris, CEO of creative agency Mekanism. He added “hiring a dramatic actor famous for suffering for his art to pitch stress-free tax filing….serves a practical purpose, driving awareness that trusts the audience to get the joke.”

It was a sentiment echoed by others, too. “Love Adrien Brody. Bringing his trademark intensity to a product that shouldn’t have drama is exactly the kind of creative tension that makes a Super Bowl campaign memorable,” David Angelo, the chairman and founder of creative agency David & Goliath, told Adweek. “It turns something purely functional into entertainment. That friction works. There’s enough intrigue in the spot to make viewers want more. To go online. To keep watching. That’s not just smart storytelling. That’s storytelling without the predictable drama. Thank you, TurboTax.”

Of course, even when Brody’s appearance wowed, the overall execution wasn’t universally loved. “II respect the effort to do something different in this category, especially with an actor at the level of Adrian Brody,” said Karen Costello, creative chair at Omnicom-owned shop Deutsch. “But it didn’t really land for me. Felt a bit overwrought and forced.”