Tech Tussle: Perplexity Jabs at Google with Remake of a Classic Super Bowl Ad

As a follow-up to its first paid marketing campaign early this summer, tech startup Perplexity is taking a swipe at an industry behemoth with a near shot-for-shot remake of a classic Google Super Bowl ad.

The generative artificial intelligence company has reimagined “Parisian Love,” which Google aired during the 2010 Big Game. The spot quickly became a fan favorite for the charming tale that unfolded in 60 seconds in a search bar, a storytelling style that was unprecedented at the time.

Perplexity’s work, created in-house and called “Parisian Dream,” hews closely to “Parisian Love” while aiming to highlight its own capabilities and subtly jab at the “degraded quality” of Google’s search, according to Dmitry Shevelenko, Perplexity’s chief business officer.

“We recently rediscovered ‘Parisian Love,’ and it triggered the natural question, ‘how would Perplexity handle this?’” Shevelenko told ADWEEK. “When you ask a question in natural language, you get an answer back in natural language, which takes another step in the user journey and doesn’t just point them in the direction with links—it’s a big paradigm shift.”

Stirring the pot

Attempting to start a public beef with a competitor is a well-worn tactic in advertising—see the ongoing battles between Big Dairy and plant-based players—with Perplexity purposely stirring the pot, in David versus Goliath fashion, as it looks to establish its nascent brand.

Parody and homage are also common in the commercial space, with brands sometimes remaking their rivals’ ads to show off their cheekiness and expertise. Samsung’s recent takedown of Apple’s controversial “Crush” commercial touches on both trends simultaneously.

Though it closely mirrors “Parisian Love,” Perplexity’s ad “needs to stand on its own legs,” Shevelenko said, while intending to generate buzz and build awareness. 

And if Google takes the bait, all the better, though Shevelenko doesn’t expect to hear any protest from the tech giant because it would only serve to “amplify our marketing message.”

The spot, running nearly 90 seconds, comes from Perplexity’s recent hire, in-house creative producer Jeremiah Warren, who turned it around from concept to finished ad in about two weeks.

“Parisian Dream” has a different soundtrack and ending from “Parisian Love,” taking the heart-warming courtship story further into the future, but leans verbatim on most of the same queries in the original ad, from the kickoff “study abroad in Paris” through “how to impress a French girl” to “best cribs for a newborn.”

The spot ends with the Perplexity tagline, “Where knowledge begins,” and will get a social and influencer push before likely airing on connected TV and other platforms.

Homage or ripoff?

Mimicking a famous ad can be an effective strategy, but there are a number of variables to consider, and marketing mavens had mixed reviews for “Parisian Dream.”

A well-executed duplicate “can serve as a powerful connection to a beloved piece of brand history, evoke strong emotional responses and tap into nostalgic value,” according to Deb Gabor, founder of Sol Marketing.

But if the spot doesn’t chart significantly new territory, it risks “coming off as a mere copy,” said Gabor, who noted that she has a soft spot for “Parisian Love” and wonders if viewers will absorb the product differentiation Perplexity is trying to convey.

“While the intention to pay tribute is clear,” Gabor said, “the [Perplexity] ad doesn’t bring enough fresh insight or innovation to make it more than a superficial homage.”

Consumer confusion

Ad agency veteran Gordy Sang thinks the Perplexity ad might be confusing to consumers because of its similarities to its predecessor.

“Because our brains are so pre-wired that when we see a search bar and that style of execution—I mean, even their newest AI campaign is using it—it instantly reads as ‘Google,’” Sang, co-founder and co-CCO at indie agency Quality Meats, told ADWEEK. “So when I see it’s some other logo-y thing that isn’t Google, my brain begins to scramble trying to understand how and why it’s different—it feels like people might walk away thinking it was a Google spot, or just a clear ripoff of it.”

For its part, “Parisian Love” was an instant hit with consumers. It aired during Super Bowl 44, and in 2020 snagged a place on the USA Today Ad Meter’s best commercials of the past 25 years.

A creative experiment 

In brainstorming the idea for “Parisian Dream,” Perplexity’s team thought about using a side-by-side comparison of Google’s search results in 2010 and 2024, which would’ve been “snarky and even more on-brand,” Shevelenko said. “That would’ve shown how much worse their search has gotten, where you can’t get good answers and it’s all cluttered with spam, SEO and ads.”

Instead, the brand leaned into the 2010 spot that Shevelenko called “beautiful and powerful,” while acknowledging that Perplexity is “very early in our history of marketing and creative production—it’s an experiment and we’re learning as we’re going.”

The Silicon Valley startup, with heavy-hitting investors that include Jeff Bezos, has been grabbing headlines lately for its unicorn status ($1 billion valuation), its upcoming ad business launch in fourth quarter and its revenue sharing programs with publishers like Time, Fortune and others.

After a rough start and claims of plagiarism, Perplexity hired ScalePost to shepherd its publisher deals, with about 75 now signed on, Shevelenko said.

Perplexity’s first commercial, which premiered during the NBA Finals in June, made a splash as a convincing movie trailer for a fake film called “The Know-It Alls.” 

The ad, from indie agency Sandwich, sparked interest from film producers and Hollywood studios who want to turn it into a real action thriller. Shevelenko said those talks are ongoing.