Xero's First TV-Led Campaign Encourages Small Businesses to Digitise despite Chaos

Xero, the accounting software platform used by 355,000 small businesses in the UK, has unveiled its biggest brand campaign ever. It includes a 30-second TV commercial - its first in the UK - as well as OOH, print and digital.

The new campaign recognises the struggles facing business owners and encourages them to let Xero take care of the numbers, so they can focus on the critical year ahead. The campaign launch is timed to coincide with rate rises, fresh challenges from Brexit and HMRC’s new digital tax rules.

Making tax digital is one of the biggest changes to the UK tax system in 30 years, signalling the end of paper-based accounting for 1.1m SMEs. Xero provides cloud software to help small businesses manage their finances from any device wherever they are, moving savvy owners away from outdated spreadsheets and storing receipts in shoeboxes and giving them time back to spend on the things they love.

Rob Foulkes, Xero’s head of small business marketing, said “We understand the challenges small businesses are faced with, so we wanted our first TV commercial to dramatise the daily struggle and how Xero can lend a helping hand. Unexpected challenges are thrown at small business owners every day and it’s a balancing act to get the job done, no more so than when faced with economic uncertainty. We hope our portrayal demonstrates that Xero is there for small businesses, and shows that things don’t always have to be done the hard way.”  

Rob Drake, Brave Spark co-founder and creative director says “The magic of being a small business owner is that they’re often figuring things out on the move. They’re building the plane as it hurtles down the runway, or in this case changing the tyre as it speeds towards the horizon, whilst juggling the practicalities of managing a business, such as the finances. And that’s what Xero are selling… not just accounting software, but that bit of extra time every business owner needs."

The work was created by Rob Drake at Brave Spark, directed by Jonathan Parkinson and Peter Capaldi was selected as the voice over artist. The ad will air on TV from April 22nd.