In a recent TikTok post by Duolingo, the iconic green owl mascot opened up to the Teletubbies support group and revealed that he has a restraining order against him. This strange behavior and characteristics of the duo’s online persona caused concern among viewers, with one commenter asking, “Duo…where did you find the Teletubbies?”
In a mischievous response, Duo explained that he kept it in his basement. This quirky yet humorous content has contributed to Duo’s immense popularity on the internet, with nearly 8 million followers on TikTok.
Duo’s rise to online stardom can be attributed in large part to its comically threatening videos encouraging users to commit to their language learning journey on the Duolingo app. Users have embraced this quirky character, hosting Duo-themed Streak parties and dressing up in Duo costumes for Halloween.
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The origins of this Duo craze were organic, starting with Duolingo users bantering about Owl’s passive-aggressive reminders on social media. However, Duolingo cleverly used Duo’s appeal to increase brand awareness and attract a younger audience.
Duolingo’s marketing director Katherine Chan emphasized that a significant portion of the user growth was due to TikTok, and that the platform primarily attracts young people.
To further capitalize on this trend, Duolingo is considering other character-centered content within the app. For example, Lily, an indifferent purple girl, who is also gaining popularity among users. Katherine mentioned plans to create a ’90s sitcom for Lily that would exist primarily on social media.
She draws parallels between Duo and Duolingo and Mickey Mouse and Disney, emphasizing Duo’s status as central figures.
The Duolingo social team remains flexible and responds quickly to trends on TikTok. While some campaigns require extensive planning with a production company, most go quickly from idea to video in just 30 minutes.
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An April Fool’s parody of a personal injury legal ad featuring the Duo showcased their creative side. More recently, the duo’s characters have expanded to include a romantic interest in singer Dua Lipa.
This strategy was so successful that the first post served as the catalyst for Duo’s rise to fame. After being briefly mentioned in the viral Barbie movie, the duo walked the red carpet and created even more buzz on social media.
Next month, Duolingo will release Duo costumes through its online merchandise store, allowing users to playfully tease friends who may be falling behind in their language lessons.