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Sensor Tower · Abraham Yousef · January 2025
Super Bowl LVIII Ads Yielded Mixed Mobile App Results for New Advertisers
Out of the six studied brands that launched their first ever Super Bowl ads during Super Bowl LVIII, only Popeyes and Homes.com saw positive mobile app download and user growth following the big game, suggesting that it may be tough to generate significant returns from advertising investments during the event. Notably, other new entrants to Super Bowl advertising such as Pluto TV, Snapchat and Etsy saw both metrics either decline or remain flat following the game. Instacart could see material growth in app downloads and users if it launches an interactive campaign with messaging that resonates with consumers.
Key Takeaways:
ST data shows that Pluto TV, Snapchat and Etsy, which launched their first ever Super Bowl ads during Super Bowl LVIII, increased total US digital ad spend in the 30 days after Super Bowl LVIII (2/12 - 3/12) by 363%, 258% and 16%, respectively, compared to the 30 days prior to Super Bowl LVIII (1/12 - 2/10), yet saw mobile app downloads fall 5%, 6% and 1%, respectively, in the same period
This suggests that these advertisers’ campaigns struggled to hit the mark with consumers, likely delivering a poor return on their investment
Popeyes and Homes.com, which also launched their first ever Super Bowl ads during Super Bowl LVIII, increased total US digital ad spend in the 30 days after Super Bowl LVIII by 16% and 330%, respectively, vs the 30 days prior to Super Bowl LVIII, and saw mobile app downloads soar 14% and 94%, respectively
DAUs for Popeyes and Homes.com in the comparison same period increased 2% and 73%, respectively. This indicates that Popeyes and Homes.com may have had more effective ad campaigns that drew in consumers and ostensibly turned them into customers
Homes.com in particular saw the most astounding results following its Super Bowl LVIII ad campaign with triple-digit and double-digit MoM growth in Feb’24 downloads and MAUs, respectively, per ST data, reaching an all-time high in both metrics during the month. This was consistent with a press release from parent company CoStar Group touting this milestone in user traffic
Instacart is set to debut its first ever Super Bowl ad in Feb’25, likely building on its recent campaigns that emphasize helping time-strapped families. While this messaging may have increased app downloads by 12% MoM in Jul’24, MAUs fell 7%, indicating potential challenges in sustaining user engagement
If Instacart enhances its family-focused messaging with interactive elements, such as a QR code or similar call to action, it could achieve significant double-digit download and user growth following its Super Bowl campaign
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Written by: Abraham Yousef, Senior Insights Analyst
Date: January 2025