Perplexity’s Super Bowl contest managed to move the needle on its app’s downloads. Unlike OpenAI and Google, the AI search engine chose to forgo an expensive Super Bowl ad in favor of a tweet — sorry, an X post — encouraging users to download its app and enter a contest that could result in a $1 million win. While Perplexity’s app didn’t soar to the top of the U.S. App Store with this strategy, it did increase its mobile app installs by roughly 50%, according to data from app intelligence provider Appfigures.
Shared on Friday by Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas, the X post explained that users could enter the new contest by downloading the Perplexity mobile app, if they didn’t already have it installed, then ask at least five questions on the app during the big game. The company said it would pick one winner to receive $1 million.
The contest was a clever way to not only boost the app’s installs but also help familiarize users with how Perplexity’s AI search works.
By requiring users to ask five questions to enter the contest, Perplexity helped users get over the initial learning curve of trying a new product. Plus, by requiring that the questions were asked during the Super Bowl game itself, the contest helped users figure out what to talk about. After all, there was a major sporting event on TV and they would likely pick up their phones at some point to look up a stat, fact, or news item.
Early App Store estimates indicate that Perplexity grew its downloads to 45,000 on Sunday, up from last week’s daily average of around 30,000, Appfigures says.
This also helped Perplexity’s app climb in the U.S. App Store’s Top Charts, where it reached as high as No. 6 in the Productivity chart after the X post before dropping to No. 19 as of Sunday morning, then growing again slightly to No. 16.
Perplexity also grew its Top Apps Overall ranking up from No. 257 to No. 66, after peaking at No. 49.
Rough estimates suggest that, by the end of Monday, the app could double yesterday’s download numbers if all goes well.
Though Perplexity’s post lacked the opportunity to reach a larger audience, as Google and OpenAI did with their Super Bowl ads for Gemini and ChatGPT, respectively, it may have done a better job at helping showcase how to use its AI app.
With its ad, Google tried to paint a broad picture about how AI could fit into consumers’ lives (after an edit to remove an incorrect fact.) But the AI use case it showed off — helping a job seeker flesh out their resume with clever references to their prior work as a stay-at-home dad — was not necessarily one that would resonate with a large number of consumers.
OpenAI, meanwhile, also saw mixed reactions to its ad which some said failed to showcase what ChatGPT’s app can actually be used for, focusing instead on art and visuals over practicality.
Appfigures saw no significant movement tied directly to OpenAI and Google’s ads, however, the firm noted those apps are receiving a large number of downloads anyway.
