Popular Shopping App Temu Hits Prime Time with Big Game Commercial Debut

Temu, the popular online shopping app that’s attracted millions of users with its affordable quality merchandise, hit another important milestone after making its debut on the Big Game with its first nationally televised commercial.

The 30-second spot titled “Shop Like A Billionaire” aired during the first half of the NFL’s marquee event and again in the second half, featuring a happy shopper buying several items on the Temu app, unconstrained by budget because the prices were so affordable. The advertisement was conceived by Saatchi & Saatchi and directed by Robert Jitzmark.

With primetime spots during the football championship final reportedly costing more than $7 million each, Temu joins an exclusive club of deep-pocketed Big Game advertisers with the financial resources to make their pitches directly to a television audience regularly exceeding 100 million viewers. 

Temu is the No. 1 downloaded app

Temu’s appearance on advertising’s biggest stage follows its meteoric rise up the app store charts since its launch in September 2022. Its mobile app quickly became the most downloaded app one month after launch and has ranked consistently among the most popular apps on major US app stores since the start of the year, according to Sensor Tower data.

The message of Temu’s commercial – that consumers need not give up shopping or compromise on their lifestyles as Temu offers affordable options – is increasingly salient for a growing number of American households faced with rising costs of living and a clouded economic outlook.

Temu offers best products at best prices

“We are thrilled to be part of the 2023 Big Game lineup and share Temu’s mission of quality at affordable prices,” a spokesperson for Temu said. “By using the largest stage possible, we aim to introduce more consumers to the exciting experience of shopping for the best products at the best prices on Temu.”

Temu (pronounced tee-moo) is owned by the Nasdaq-listed multinational commerce group, PDD Holdings Inc., which also operates the social commerce platform Pinduoduo in China. The name Temu comes from its motto, “Team up, price down,” a nod to its operating philosophy of working together to create economies of scale that can then be used to drive down costs for consumers and manufacturers alike. 

Like its sister company Pinduoduo, Temu has been able to turbocharge its growth by tapping into the network of over 11 million suppliers that PDD Holding has built up over the years. Temu also benefits from the operational and financial backing of its parent, which serves more than 900 million customers worldwide and handled 61 billion packages in 2021. PDD Holdings made $17 billion in revenue and $5.2 billion in profit in the 12 months to September 2022, giving Temu plenty of financial muscle to support its expansion. 

Since its launch, consumers have been flocking to Temu for its affordably priced products, according to the Wall Street Journal. Temu has managed to achieve a total of 19 million lifetime installs across major US app stores, and its daily downloads are outpacing fast-fashion retailer Shein, TechCrunch reported, citing Sensor Tower estimates. 

Temu customers praise site for value for money

Temu also appears to be converting many first-time shoppers into repeat customers. Positive reviews far outweigh negative ones on review sites such as Sitejabber. 

“I have purchased a few items for thanksgiving and in preparation for xmas. They are amazing and such good price!” wrote Michelle, a Temu customer, in a review on Sitejabber. “In general super value for money. Would love to purchase again.”

As to what’s next for Temu, reports have said the company is preparing to launch its service in Canada as soon as this month, extending its presence in North America.

“Temu is successfully generating chatter as it attempts to position itself as a disruptor in the US e-commerce market,” said Deborah Weinswig, New York-based CEO and founder of Coresight Research. “The launch of the marketplace comes at an opportune moment as consumers search for value amid still-elevated inflation and a degree of economic uncertainty.”

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