In a recent post by Duolingo on TikTok, Duo, the iconic green owl mascot, confides in the Teletubbies support group, revealing that he has a restraining order against him. This strange behavior and characteristic of Duo’s online persona caused concern among viewers, with one commenter asking: “Duo…where did you find the Teletubbies?”
Duo’s TikTok Story: From Huka to Hollywood (duolingo/Instagram)(Instagram)
In a mischievous reply, Duo explained that he kept them in his basement. This bizarre but humorous content has contributed to the Duo’s huge popularity on the Internet, with around 8 million TikTok followers.
Duo’s rise to online stardom can largely be attributed to his comically threatening videos, in which he encourages users to stay committed to their language learning journey on the Duolingo app. Users have embraced this quirky character, throwing Duo-themed parties and even dressing up in these Duo costumes for Halloween.
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The origin of this Duo craze was organic, with Duolingo users bantering about the owl’s passive-aggressive reminders on social media. However, Duolingo has smartly used the appeal of Duo to increase its brand recognition and attract a younger audience.
Katherine Chan, marketing director of Duolingo, emphasized that a significant part of the growth in the number of users can be attributed to TikTok, with the platform primarily attracting young people.
To further capitalize on this trend, Duolingo is exploring content focused on other characters within the app, such as Lily, an apathetic purple girl who has also gained popularity among users. Katherine mentioned plans to create a ’90s sitcom for Lily, which will primarily exist on social media.
She draws a parallel between Du’s relationship with Duolingo and that of Mickey Mouse and Disney, emphasizing Du’s status as a central character.
Duolingo’s social team remains flexible, responding quickly to TikTok trends. While some campaigns involve extensive planning with production companies, most are executed quickly, from idea to video in as little as 30 minutes.
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The April Fool’s show, a recreation of a personal injury legal ad featuring the Duo, showcased their creative sides. Recently, Duo’s character expanded to a romantic interest in singer Dua Lipa.
This strategy was extremely successful, with the first releases acting as a catalyst for the Duo’s rise to fame. After a brief mention in the popular Barbie movie, the Duo even walked the red carpet, causing more buzz on social media.
In the coming month, Duolingo plans to release a Duo costume through its online merchandise store, allowing users to playfully tease their friends who may be behind in their language lessons.
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Source: newstars.edu.vn