Perplexity’s $1M Tweet Scores Big During the Super Bowl
While OpenAI and Google shelled out millions for Super Bowl ads, Perplexity AI took a more budget-friendly—and arguably more effective—approach. The AI search engine skipped traditional TV spots and instead posted on X (formerly Twitter), encouraging users to download its app and participate in a contest with a $1 million prize. The rules? Simply install the app and ask five questions during the game. The result: a 50% increase in app downloads, growing from an average of 30,000 daily installs to 45,000 on game day.
Beyond boosting installs, Perplexity's strategy had a secondary win—it got users to actually engage with the app. By requiring five questions, it nudged new users past the typical onboarding hurdle, making them familiar with the AI-powered search tool. This move helped push Perplexity up the App Store rankings, reaching as high as No. 6 in the Productivity category and jumping from No. 257 to No. 66 overall. Notably, this engagement-driven approach seemed to outperform OpenAI’s and Google’s Super Bowl campaigns, which, despite big ad buys, didn’t result in significant App Store ranking jumps.
The takeaway? Sometimes, a well-placed social media post beats a multimillion-dollar ad campaign. Perplexity's contest not only drove immediate app growth but also educated users on how to use its product—something OpenAI’s and Google’s broader, less interactive ads struggled to achieve. With a smart, low-cost play, Perplexity proved that engagement trumps exposure, at least when it comes to getting people to actually use an app.
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