• by Wayne Friedman , January 28, 2011

With the big tax return selling season here, Turbo Tax decided to go big in getting awareness with one major effort: The software company will be the sole advertiser on NBC on Sunday night, January 30.  

Turbo Tax will take over as the lone advertiser for one night -- 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. --to get maximum exposure. Financials were not revealed -- though it is estimated NBC pulls in around $5 million to $6 million for those three hours of programming time for non-sports programming.

Promoting the event -- and giving Turbo Tax media exposure -- nine different spots will air across seven NBC Universal properties. Extra long 75-second ads tie a particular NBCU talent or show to the TurboTax theme of "expert guidance." They air within the shows they reference.

Programs that will air the commercials include NBC's "The Biggest Loser," syndicated magazine "Access Hollywood" and daytime soap "Days of our Lives," as well as sports programming and late night. Cable spots will air in Syfy's "Ghost Hunters International," Oxygen's "sToribook Weddings," Bravo's "Real Housewives" program and the Weather Channel.

Each team travels to Los Angeles, racing through several famous locations. With the help of GPS systems, they search for clues, find hidden objects, and perform stunts. The "champion" will win more than $50,000 for their designated charity.

Seth Greenberg, vice president of global media and digital marketing for Intuit, stated: "Working with NBC Universal, we've created something that has never been done -- taking over an entire night of network commercial time to convey just how easy TurboTax guides you to your maximum refund."

Barbara Blangiardi, senior vice president of creative partnerships and innovation for NBC Universal, added: "The 'All-Star Celebrity Treasure Hunt' is the latest innovation in what has been a three-year showcase partnership with TurboTax, integrating their brand strategies into entertaining content that engages their consumers and reaches them across the many platforms within the NBCU portfolio."