A few years ago, it was hard to imagine that a green owl would become one of the internet’s biggest stars. But here we are—Duolingo, a language-learning app, has turned its quirky mascot, Duo, into a cultural sensation. Whether you use the app or not, almost everyone knows Duo, from his playful threats about unfinished lessons to his meme-worthy antics on social media. With their bold, unpolished, and human approach to social, Duolingo has pulled off one of the most successful marketing wins of the year— over 50 million impressions with $0 ad spend during the Super Bowl.

While the cost of the Super Bowl was upwards of $8M for 30-seconds of air time, Duolingo did an aggressive organic social blitz, achieving remarkable results. They flooded Twitter with memes and “translate this sentence” tweets that roasted players for plays. They dropped a “lesson in ‘a minor’” video, not so subtly nodding to Kendrick Lamar’s halftime performance. And when Drake got clowned on live TV - Duolingo was right there with a joke of their own.

They weren’t just watching the game; they were playing it by reacting in real-time, posting memes, commentary, and engaging with fans throughout the night. Duolingo’s Super Bowl strategy was more than just a win for their brand—it was a masterclass in how social can outshine all traditional advertising. They proved that in today’s world, the Super Bowl isn’t just about what’s on TV; for the majority of viewers it’s truly a multi-screen experience. And in the end, they walked away with something bigger that money can’t buy—cultural currency.

But they weren’t done: To close out their Super Bowl social spree they further shocked the world by "killing" their mascot. 

In a move no one saw coming, Duolingo announced on February 11, 2025, that their beloved (and slightly threatening) green mascot was no more. His “death” was unveiled across social media, complete with profile pictures showing Duo with Xs over his eyes and a dramatic farewell post hinting that he might have died “waiting for users to finish their lessons.”

And, as expected, the internet went feral.

People flooded Twitter (X), TikTok, and Instagram with memes, eulogies, and conspiracy theories. Every global Duolingo account has posted videos about the passing of their beloved Duo, bringing to light the other accounts majority of the Duolingo followers didn’t even know existed.

In tandem, it seems as if the entire mascot community has come together with the passing of the iconic bird.

Others, reveled in his ‘un-aliving’ aka Hootsuite, the Canadian red bird who allegedly had beef with our iconic green one … again, rumors yet to be confirmed by the current and ongoing investigation.

An ongoing investigation fueled by one thing: your lessons.

Not even 72 hours after his passing, Duo has challenged its users to “channel their grief and discover more about the investigation” by participating in the app’s daily quests: help pay for Duo’s coffin, learn how Duo died, extend your streak as tribute. Though Duo is “gone”, his lessons live on – and depending on how many you do, determines the future of our beloved bird … or so they say.

As an internet icon, Duo’s “death” is almost definitely leading up to some kind of big reveal, comeback, or rebranding moment.

But for now, Duolingo has once again proven that they don’t need to follow the marketing rulebook. Right now, it seems, they are the rulebook.