Pinduoduo’s US-based online marketplace Temu made its official debut at this year’s Super Bowl with its commercial “Shop Like a Billionaire”. Played during the first and third quarters of the NFL championship game, its upbeat 30-second commercial follows the shopping adventures of a young woman who uses the Temu app to purchase an endless stream of affordable clothing and accessories.
Reactions from Super Bowl viewers online were mixed. On the one hand, the ad raised confusion on how the new app could afford the pricey 7-million-dollar price tag attached to the 30-second commercial. Other watchers criticised the promoted notion of overconsumption and the potential environmental impact caused by excess clothing consumption. On the other hand, Temu fans joked that they would no longer be able to keep their source for cheap goods a secret anymore.
Given the Super Bowl’s massive stage for advertising in the US with millions of viewers tuning in each year, Temu’s ad served as a milestone for the company as it joined the ranks of advertising giants from Pepsi to McDonald’s and Ford. To celebrate such a victory and reel in potential new customers, the e-commerce brand hosted a 10 million USD “Shake & Cheer” giveaway as part of its campaign for “The Big Game”.
In addition to its Super Bowl festivities, Temu announced its upcoming expansion into Canada, with shipping set to commence in February 2023. The move comes less than six months following its US debut in September 2022.
After its launch in September 2022, the app become one of the most downloaded free apps in the US with 10.8 million installations on both Apple’s App Store and Google Play. The online shopping platform quickly gained popularity among Americans searching for discounts on everyday items as inflation leads to sky-high prices on household goods. Whether or not the online marketplace is here to stay, however, only time will tell.
