The Internal Revenue Service ran its first mobile campaign this past tax season aimed at the Generation-Y demographic to promote its Free File tax program.

The IRS tapped direct marketing services firm Harte-Hanks and Low + Associates for the "What's Your Best Free" campaign, which included a mobile Web site and SMS alerts.

"The IRS's mobile campaign was primarily intended for branding purposes, designed ultimately to inform participants about the Free File program," said Jeannette Kocsis, vice president of digital strategy and media, Harte-Hanks Inc., Yardley, PA. "The campaign was focused toward Generation-Y populations, also referred to as Millennials."

As part of this effort, banner ads appeared across social networks and other Web sites encouraging viewers to text the keyword BEST to short code 62407.

The IRS is the U.S. federal government agency that collects taxes and enforces the internal revenue laws. It is an agency within the U.S. Department of the Treasury and is responsible for interpretation and application of Federal tax law.

The Free File program provides free federal income tax preparation and electronic filing for eligible taxpayers through a partnership between the IRS and the Free File Alliance LLC, a group of private sector tax software companies.

The Free File program is eligible to anyone with an adjusted gross income of less than $56,000 per year for 2008.

Based in San Antonio, TX, Harte-Hanks Inc. is a worldwide direct and targeted marketing company that provides direct marketing services and shopper advertising services to local, regional, national and international consumer and business-to-business marketers.

Harte-Hanks Inc. has a relationship with iLoop Mobile for the use of mobile technology and services aimed at its clients (see story).

For the IRS mobile initiative powered by Harte-Hanks, once taxpayers texted in the keyword to the short code, they received a return text message that linked the recipient to the mobile Web site, where they were able to participate in a poll about the "Best Free Thing."

Users could download wallpapers representing some of the most popular free things; enter and submit their own Best Free Thing; send the campaign to a friend; and opt-in to receive weekly alerts with new submissions.

The wallpapers were updated throughout the campaign to include some of the popular responses.

Some of the Best Free Things submitted were ringtones, family and friends, holding hands, sunlight, air and mother's love.

Brand messages appeared throughout the mobile site experience, informing the user about the Free File tax program.

More than 30 percent of the participants opted in for the text program, and more than 20 percent used the send-to-a-friend feature.

"We felt that mobile was one of the ways we could reach young taxpayers, given the early adoption of mobile and text messaging in those age groups," Ms. Kocsis said.