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How much do Super Bowl LVIII ads cost? Temu scores big as Chinese e-commerce app doubles up commercials

People were baffled to see the new Chinese e-commerce app Temu take as many as three ad slots at Super Bowl LVIII

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA: Securing a Super Bowl ad spot doesn't come cheap, with each 30-second slot carrying a reported price tag of around $7 million.

This reflects the whopping amount premium brands are willing to pay to capture the attention of the extensive Super Bowl audience. However, the Super Bowl LVIII advertisements faced widespread criticism from online viewers, with many expressing skepticism about how the new app, Temu, could afford the hefty $7 million price tag for each 30-second commercial during the game.

Super Bowl 2024 witnessed the foray of the e-commerce world with not one, but three consecutive commercials from Temu, a rising player in the Chinese industry.

Despite expectations that a giant like Amazon would dominate the advertising space, it was Temu, linked to the Chinese giant Pinduoduo, that secured three coveted commercial spots, piquing viewers' curiosity about the e-commerce app.

While the Super Bowl advertisements received negative feedback from a majority of online viewers, questions arose as to how the new app could afford the $7 million price tag for each 30-second commercial during the game.

Interestingly, this marked Temu's second appearance during the football game, as the company had introduced its first commercial the previous year. 

Temu's three slots at the Super Bowl also sparked online frenzy as discussions erupted.

"Is it just my local area or has everyone seen that Temu commercial 80 times tonight?" a user asked on X (formerly Twitter).

"Temu again??? they just let anybody have a commercial these days…" added another.

"How much money did Temu drop on #SuperBowl commercials my god, if this is still stuck in my head come tomorrow morning i will be PEEVED," commented another. 

It also gave rise to many memes, as fans took a sarcastic jibe at the Chinese retailer.

“IF I SEE THAT TEMU AD ONE MORE GODDAMN TIME," wrote one.

"Me counting the number of Temu commercials tonight," wrote another.

"Jesus and Temu sure do have a lot of ad money," added another. 

What is the Super Bowl LVIII Temu ad about?

The Temu advertisement showcases a woman with curly hair casually browsing a variety of clothes on her phone. Interestingly, anything she adds to her shopping cart magically appears on her and the people around her. The core message of the ad is to encourage people to "Download the TEMU app and shop like a billionaire".

Temu, a Chinese-owned e-commerce company, specializes in offering low-cost and discounted goods, primarily shipped from China. WhaleCo, Temu's parent company, is owned by China-based PDD, which also owns the immensely popular Chinese e-commerce giant Pinduoduo.

How much do brands pay Super Bowl to get featured? 

The significant cost of Super Bowl ads has seen a remarkable escalation over the years. In the inaugural Super Bowl between the Green Bay Packers and the Chiefs in 1967, brands paid a mere $42,000 for ad time, a stark contrast to the current astronomical figure of $7 million for a 30-second slot.

This staggering increase highlights the evolution of Super Bowl advertising costs over the decades.

Paying $7 million for a 30-second Super Bowl ad is considered a worthwhile investment for advertisers. This hefty price tag provides the opportunity to introduce their brand to a massive audience.

The Super Bowl audience is known for being highly engaged with the advertisements, sometimes even more so than with the actual game. The viewership demographic has been fairly evenly split between men and women in recent years, making it an attractive platform for advertisers aiming to capture widespread attention.