A Clever Marketing Play: How Perplexity Leveraged the Super Bowl
Perplexity, the AI search engine, took a different approach to Super Bowl marketing in 2025. Instead of investing in a costly Super Bowl ad like OpenAI and Google, Perplexity opted for a strategic social media contest, resulting in a significant boost to its app downloads. This article examines how Perplexity’s innovative strategy paid off and what it means for the future of AI marketing.
The Million-Dollar Question: Driving App Installs and User Engagement
Perplexity’s contest, announced via an X (formerly Twitter) post, offered users the chance to win $1 million by downloading the Perplexity mobile app and asking at least five questions during the Super Bowl. This ingenious tactic not only drove app installs but also encouraged users to actively engage with the AI search engine, familiarizing them with its functionality.
There will be no Perplexity Super Bowl ad. Instead, there's a Super Bowl contest. You install the app (not needed if you have the app already), and ask at least five questions on the app during the game, and we will pick one winner to give $1mm. Ask like a millionaire.
— Aravind Srinivas (@AravSrinivas) February 7, 2025
Overcoming the Learning Curve: A Contest Designed for User Adoption
By requiring users to ask five questions, Perplexity cleverly guided new users through the initial learning curve of using its AI search tool. The Super Bowl timeframe provided a natural context for these questions, as users were likely already using their phones to look up game stats, facts, or news. This helped users discover relevant use cases for Perplexity’s AI in a fun and engaging way.
The Numbers Game: A 50% Increase in App Installs
Data from Appfigures reveals the success of Perplexity’s strategy. The company saw a roughly 50% increase in mobile app installs, with downloads jumping to an estimated 45,000 on Super Bowl Sunday, up from a daily average of around 30,000 the previous week.
Climbing the Charts: Perplexity’s App Store Success
The contest also propelled Perplexity’s app up the U.S. App Store charts. It reached as high as No. 6 in the Productivity category and climbed from No. 257 to No. 66 in the Top Apps Overall ranking, peaking at No. 49. These chart movements demonstrate the effectiveness of Perplexity’s marketing campaign in raising the app’s visibility.
A Different Approach: Perplexity’s Focus on User Experience
Unlike Google and OpenAI, whose Super Bowl ads focused on broad concepts and artistic visuals, Perplexity took a more practical approach. Its contest directly showcased how to use the AI app, emphasizing user experience over abstract marketing messages. This focus on practicality may have resonated more strongly with potential users.
The Challenge of Reach: Social Media vs. Super Bowl Ads
While Perplexity’s social media campaign was successful in driving app downloads and engagement, it lacked the massive reach of a Super Bowl ad. Google and OpenAI’s ads, despite mixed reactions, exposed their AI products to a much wider audience. The trade-off between targeted engagement and broad reach is a key consideration for AI marketing strategies.
The Future of AI Marketing: Beyond the Big Game
Perplexity’s Super Bowl contest demonstrates the power of innovative marketing strategies in the AI era. By focusing on user engagement and practical application, Perplexity achieved significant results without the need for a costly Super Bowl ad. This approach could serve as a model for other AI companies looking to connect with potential users in a meaningful way.