Duolingo’s success on social media is due to their ability to insert the brand into unexpected cultural moments. They are the three Michelin star standard of brands who are able to capitalize on cultural trends.
Our task was to find a buzzy cultural hook for the brand in the Summer of 2024, and create a viral moment for them on social media.
In June of 2024, there was no bigger, buzzier cultural moment than the season 3 premier of FX’s The Bear. So naturally, we cooked up a clever way to integrate Duolingo.
Duolingo’s mascot – Duo the Bird – is an assertive and pushy coach who thrives on the intensity of language learning. We realized that he has a lot of the traits you need to be a good chef.
This led us to a simple idea: create a comedic spoof trailer for a spinoff of The Bear called “The Bird,” where Duo runs his kitchen like a language immersion class. Speak Italian, or get chopped like scallions.
Yes, chef!
It was a piping hot success, amassing over 16.4 million views and leaving many fans excited that a real show was coming starring the militant owl.
Che buono!
