Super Bowl ads boosted crypto app downloads by 279%, led by Coinbase

According to a new analysis, several IT businesses' Super Bowl TV spots paid off not only in terms of exposure but also in terms of app installs. However, Coinbase's viral video, which just bounced a QR code around on a black screen like an old DVD screensaver, trounced the competition, with installs soaring 309% week-over-week after the ad aired on Super Bowl Sunday, February 13, and climbing another 286 percent the next day.

The new data comes from Sensor Tower, an app intelligence firm that crunched the figures to evaluate how well the Super Bowl advertising succeeded for the mobile-first brands that ran ads during the event. While the firm is unable to disclose exact download counts due to non-disclosure agreements with customers, its data can provide insight into the impact of these advertisements. (This information is just for app stores in the United States).

Coinbase wasn't the only cryptocurrency software that did well, as it turned out. Three of the top five apps with substantial download growth were cryptocurrency apps. In addition to Coinbase, crypto trading site eToro saw a 132 percent week-over-week increase in app installs on February 13 and an 82 percent increase on February 14. Meanwhile, FTX, the cryptocurrency exchange whose commercial featured Larry David from "Curb Your Enthusiasm," reported a 130 percent increase in downloads week over week on February 13, followed by an 81 percent increase the next day.

Coinbase, eToro, and FTX all witnessed a 279 percent increase in the U.S. installs on February 13 compared to the previous week. This trend continued the next day, with a 252 percent increase in downloads from the previous week.

While download increase is one indicator of ad success, the app's rank, which is based on a combination of downloads, velocity, and other criteria, is another.

The brand's Super Bowl ad produced an immediate increase in new installs in certain situations, but not all advertising profited in the same way. Plus, independent of the ad budget, some apps, such as sports betting apps or those with a more practical utility, such as Peacock and YouTube TV, would have experienced an increase in installs.

However, the rank can give you an idea of how well-known these firms were before their commercial aired.

Another noteworthy aspect of this year's Super Bowl advertising, according to Sensor Tower, was that conventional businesses were shifting to digital ads at the same time as these digital brands were embracing traditional TV ads.