Duolingo’s beloved mascot, Duo the owl, has met his demise—or so the company wants you to believe. The language-learning app took its latest marketing stunt to the extreme, with CEO Luis von Ahn even delivering a TikTok eulogy for the infamous green bird.
While most brands avoid upsetting their audience by eliminating a fan-favorite character, Duolingo took a different approach. The key? An absurd and oddly specific cause of “death.”
“As I’m sure you’ve seen by now, Duo was hit by a Cybertruck,” von Ahn announced in the video. “And it looks like, in fact, every single character at Duolingo is dead.”
Meme-able Marketing Move That Worked
The stunt wasn’t just for laughs—it drove real engagement. According to Similarweb, Duolingo’s monthly active Android users surged 25% year-over-year, with 38% more downloads the day after the campaign and a 58% increase in web searches.
Beyond the numbers, the campaign conveniently coincided with growing public frustration toward Elon Musk’s ventures. With Tesla and Musk’s various initiatives facing scrutiny, Duo’s “death by Cybertruck” became a humorous way for users to poke fun at the billionaire’s influence without getting lost in the broader conversation.
“Duo or Die”: Gamifying Resurrection
On Monday, Duolingo introduced a mission to resurrect Duo. By completing lessons and maintaining streaks, **users earn in-app points **to bring the owl back to life. A dedicated website tracks progress, warning that time is running out—but, of course, the revival is likely guaranteed once engagement targets are hit.
Realistically, Duolingo isn’t going to permanently retire its most valuable branding asset. However, the campaign reinforces its reputation for chaotic, attention-grabbing marketing tactics—something that sets the company apart from competitors.
While its relentless engagement strategies (like Duo notifying you that your friend is slacking on their French lessons) might annoy some users, they’re undeniably effective.
As von Ahn put it in his dramatic farewell:
"His mission was clear—make education accessible, one terrifying notification at a time."
