Taxopoly
Turning a rigged housing market into a rigged board game.
THE IDEA
Taxopoly: the soul-crushing game of Canadian homeownership.
To expose the hidden taxes driving up home prices, we created a satirical board game called Taxopoly. It reimagined Monopoly through the lens of a rigged Canadian housing market.
Instead of “Go,” players started on “Looking for an affordable new home? Go F@#% Yourself.” Instead of “Jail,” there was “Your Parents’ House.”
The board, cards and box combined dark humour with painful truths. Every detail was designed to dramatize the impossible odds facing first-time buyers. Taxopoly kits were sent directly to elected officials, along with invitations to meet. Kits were also delivered to social media creators to spark conversation online. The campaign helped grow CANT’s reach and turned a policy concern into a national flashpoint.
A
Where the audience is headed
Homebuyers are tired of playing a game they can’t win.
Housing affordability is one of the most urgent issues facing Canadians today. But the complexity of fees and taxes built into new home prices makes the problem feel distant or opaque. Most first-time buyers aren’t aware of how much of their cost goes to municipal charges. CANT saw a chance to change that by shifting the issue from complicated to crystal clear.
B
Where the brand is headed
From insider advocacy to national awareness.
The Coalition Against New-Home Taxes (CANT) was formed to raise awareness of the government fees and development charges quietly inflating the cost of new homes in Canada. But policy briefs weren’t cutting through. To drive change, CANT needed to shift the narrative, reach first-time buyers, and put public pressure on policymakers, all while promising that any savings would go to buyers, not developers.
C
Where the culture is headed
Serious issues need sharper tools.
Housing has become a cultural flashpoint in Canada, but most conversations are dominated by headlines and stats. Complex, technical issues often fail to resonate. CANT needed a symbol that could break through the noise. Something bold, bleakly funny and instantly recognizable. Something people could pick up, share, and use to start a conversation.
+60% growth of the CANT coalition through new industry support.
$786K earned media coverage generated without paid spend.
49M impressions that pushed housing affordability into the spotlight.