Duolingo “Eliminates” Its Owl Mascot in Likely Publicity Gimmick

On Tuesday, Duolingo, the widely-used language-learning application, declared the “death” of its cherished owl mascot, Duo, in what seems to be a marketing ploy.

And, well, here we are discussing it—so, nice move, Duolingo.

The organization announced the news on social media, proclaiming, “It is with heavy hearts that we inform you that Duo, also known as The Duolingo Owl, has passed away.” The post playfully noted that authorities were looking into the situation.

The announcement proceeded with a tongue-in-cheek comment: “[To be honest], he probably expired waiting for you to finish your lesson, but what do we know.” Duolingo also made light of Duo’s many foes and requested users refrain from voicing their complaints in the comments—unless they included their credit card details to automatically enroll in Duolingo Max in his honor.

As anticipated, the online community swiftly reacted with memes and jokes regarding the owl’s fate. Duolingo itself participated in the amusement, retweeting updates from gossip accounts discussing the “calamity.”

This type of viral gimmick is not unfamiliar for Duolingo, which has wholeheartedly embraced online culture. The company has established a reputation for its quirky and sometimes “off-the-wall” marketing, portraying Duo as a relentless, slightly intimidating figure urging users to finish their lessons.

Furthermore, Duolingo is not the first brand to orchestrate such a stunt. Planters famously “eliminated” Mr. Peanut ahead of the Super Bowl in 2020, only to resurrect him as “Baby Nut” in a rebranding campaign.

So, is Duo truly gone for good? Most likely not. Anticipate the green owl making a comeback in some fresh, eye-catching format soon.