PDD Holdings’ Temu made a big splash with its first-ever Super Bowl commercial on Feb. 12, “Shop Like a Billionaire.” The ad, which aired during the first and third quarters of the game, showcased Temu’s mission to help consumers to live their best lives by offering quality goods at affordable prices. The upbeat jingle in the commercial, with the lyrics “I’m shopping like a billionaire,” emphasized Temu’s focus on making shopping accessible to everyone.
A Temu spokesman explained the decision to run the commercial on arguably the biggest stage in US advertising: “It’s our first time, and we are thrilled to be part of the 2023 Big Game lineup to share Temu’s mission of quality at affordable prices. Through the largest stage possible, we want to share with our consumers that they can shop with a sense of freedom because of the price we offer. ‘Shop Like a Billionaire’ is no longer a dream because of Temu.”
The Super Bowl is one of the biggest events in the United States, not just in terms of sports but also as a cultural touchstone. Each year, millions of viewers tune in to watch the game, and the advertisements that air during the event are some of the most highly anticipated and discussed. The Super Bowl is thus an opportunity for companies to reach a massive audience and make a big impact.
To celebrate its Super Bowl debut, Temu is also holding a $10 million “Shake & Cheer” giveaway to show appreciation for its customers and reach out to potential new customers, the first of its kind in the industry.
The Super Bowl debut and $10 million giveaway took place a week after Temu announced its expansion into Canada, with shipping set to begin this month. This will bring its quality, affordable goods to a new market and marks another significant milestone.
The story of Temu has been one of rapid expansion and scaling up. Since its introduction last September by PDD Holdings, Temu has broken records in expanding product offerings (at last count, it had 29 major categories and more than 250 subcategories of merchandise), onboarding merchants, and attracting consumers to download and use its app. Temu has been the top daily downloaded app on major US app stores since late 2022.
Unlike other startups, Temu is backed by a multinational company with abundant funding. Temu’s parent organization, the Nasdaq-listed PDD Holdings Inc., is also behind another successful e-commerce startup, Pinduoduo, growing it from an online fruit distributor to one of the major e-commerce platforms. PDD Holdings’ extensive network of merchants and shipping partners has helped Temu to jumpstart its business in the US and attract quality sellers to list their products on the platform, a crucial first step to attracting customers.
What lies ahead for Temu now that it has advertised at the Super Bowl? The attention from the high-profile event is likely to drive more consumers to try the platform.