H&R Block, A Fair Shot | Carmichael Lynch Relate

H&R Block

A Fair Shot

Client

H&R Block

Campaign

A Fair Shot

In 2021, the new NCAA name, image, likeness (NIL) rule turned college athletes everywhere into small- business owners. It quickly became clear these new revenue streams would lead to new and complicated taxes. Rumors swirled around seven-figure deals for QBs who had never played in a college game, but it became equally clear that female college athletes were not getting the same opportunities. We quickly saw an opportunity for H&R Block to help women, to become the NIL tax authority and to show up in outlets they had never been in before. And it worked.

A partnership, a platform for pay equity.

We launched “A Fair Shot” on March 1, 2022, announcing sponsorships with basketball stars Caitlin Clark and Zia Cooke — leaders on and off the court. The full female roster was built out and revealed over the following weeks, spanning a variety of sports, universities and geographic locations. Each athlete was asked to use her voice to authentically speak about equity in college athletics and their NIL experiences. Not only were they receptive to a sponsorship, they were passionate about the path they were helping pave for the next generation. As the athletes announced their partnerships with Block on their social platforms, it grabbed the attention of teammates,
coaches and fans.

#AFairShotWithBlock * #AFairShotWithBlock *

New money, old problems.

The conversation extended to H&R Block’s owned channels with bite-sized NIL facts via social, tax tips on H&R Block’s Tax Information Center and our athlete partners posting tax and equity-related content to their own feeds.

A hashtag challenge accepted by millions.

The program culminated in early April as college basketball championship weekend became the topic of conversation. H&R Block invited people to “Imagine a World” in which women could get everything they deserve in a TikTok hashtag challenge (#AFairShotWithBlock) featuring Zia and shot by a female director, Kat Keene of Caviar.