Why Perplexity AI’s biggest ad yet will air during ‘Monday Night Football’

Perplexity, the AI-powered search platform, is launching its biggest ad campaign yet with a national spot that will air during the first half of tonight’s “Monday Night Football” game on ESPN and ABC. While other AI providers have used their marketing to highlight the cutting-edge nature of their technology, Perplexity’s ad resembles a more traditional attempt at enticing the masses, opting for humor and celebrity over anything that could remotely confuse viewers. The term “AI” is not even shown or mentioned in the 60-second ad, which depicts Jim Harbaugh during a press conference. “The spot brings AI down to earth,” said Dmitry Shevelenko, Perplexity’s chief business officer. This effect is also the motive behind Perplexity choosing a marquee occasion like “Monday Night Football” to carry its ad. From Gen Z to boomers, the platform’s target audience consists of “anyone who asks questions,” Shevelenko said—that is, anyone who might find use in a platform that delivers in-depth and conversational responses to internet queries. More: AI legal risks for brands and agencies to know aboutAlso: What consumers think of marketers’ use of AI The commercial, developed with creative agency Sandwich, shows Harbaugh having trouble answering questions at a press conference. After taking a swig from a bottle labeled with Perplexity branding, the Los Angeles Chargers head coach smoothly fires off knowledgeable information in response to any query, from the impact of humidity on a football game to recommendations for ramen in Tokyo. Perplexity had long been kicking around the idea of using a press conference for an ad premise, said Shevelenko, because it is an occasion that consists of a barrage of questions and answers in which its platform would be applicable. Perplexity’s representation as a drink and not an amorphous technology was meant to further demystify AI, he said. The Harbaugh spot will be complemented by a push on social media, in which Perplexity will release outtakes from the ad’s production. It also coincides with a back-to-school promotion that Perplexity is running for college kids. This is the second time Perplexity has leaned into a major sporting moment for its marketing. During the NBA Finals earlier this year, it aired a fake movie trailer about a group of brainy inventors wanting to make a positive change. The premise is now being considered for a real movie production, said Shevelenko. Providers including Google and Microsoft have aired ads during big sporting events, but these have typically represented highlight reels of the platforms in action instead of symbolic narratives that may be more resonant. Shevelenko views this approach as alienating because “you feel you have to learn how to use this thing,” he said. Viewers have indeed been put off by at least one of these ads. Google’s spot during the Olympics faced backlash because it implied that AI could automate highly personal acts, such as writing a fan letter. Google eventually pulled the ad from its TV rotation.

Why Perplexity AI’s biggest ad yet will air during ‘Monday Night Football’

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