Ever since Temu launched in 2022, there’s been debate about how the brand produces its name. Is it “tee-mu”? “Teh-moo”? The company’s Super Bowl ad sparked discussion across social media, including TikTok. A man put the company on blast after pronouncing its name differently in two Super Bowl ads.
TikTok user Robert Macriog (@rpres6241) revealed his new Roman Empire: How to pronounce “Temu.” Why? Because the company pronounced its name differently within a year through its Super Bowl ads. In 2023, the brand pronounced it “Tee-mu.”
“Download the Tee-moo app and shop like a billionaire,” the first ad said. Then, the content creator played this year’s ad. “Ohhh-oooh, Tem-uh. Download the Teh-moo app and shop like a billionaire,” the second one said. In Macriog’s opinion, Temu was “gaslighting” people by sending mixed messages.
The Daily Dot reached out to Marcriog via TikTok comment and direct message and Temu via press email. The video racked up over 271,000 views where viewers proposed different reasons.
“I’m wondering if the song is AI generated and mispronounced it, but they couldn’t be bothered with paying an actual singer for the jingle,” one viewer wrote.
“Probably just cuz they don’t care and want more people talking about their ads,” a second suggested.
“I think it was just to rhyme with the ooh ooh part tbh,” a third proposed.
@rpres6241 Temu is gaslighting us all
♬ original sound – R O B E R T M A C I R O G
On the other hand, some were more concerned about the company being an alleged “scam.”
“remember, no matter how it’s pronounced, it’s still a scam,” one user commented.
“Doesn’t matter. Still a scam site. Y’all gon be calling me asking to dispute the temu charge anyway. Who cares how you pronounce it,” a second echoed.
So, what is the correct way to pronounce “Temu”? Last year, Temu claimed its name was pronounced “tee-moo.” However, the company changed its pronunciation. According to Business Insider, the company was rebranding itself. Another reason behind this was a marketing ploy. Despite spending over $21 million for three Super Bowl ads, the company earned its money back and more due to people searching to properly pronounce it.
