The 'Death' Of Duolingo's Owl Mascot, And Dua Lipa, The Playful Unrequited Mourner

There's nothing like a good mascot to represent a brand or a company. But somethings, a company just want to change their image, or just eliminate their mascot, which is totally fine.

But some do it for fun.

Duolingo is a widely used language-learning platform known for its engaging, gamified approach to teaching over 40 languages. And this time, the company announced the death of its green owl mascot, 'Duo the Owl,' and many fans on the internet mourned its death.

Among those, include Dua Lipa, the British singer and songwriter renowned for her distinctive blend of pop, disco, and electronic music.

The pop sensation who first gained significant attention with her 2017 single New Rules expressed her sorrow following the unexpected demise of the much-cherished mascot.

But Lipa is more or less, a late griever. But both Dua Lipa and Duolingo played the narrative nicely.

"It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved mascot, Duo the Owl," a Duolingo spokesperson said in a statement.

"For years, he tirelessly reminded millions to do their language lessons − sometimes with gentle nudges, sometimes with sheer, unhinged persistence. But even the most relentless of birds can only take so much."

But the death of Duo the Owl is literally a playful marketing strategy designed to engage users and generate buzz.

The company humorously suggested that Duo, the persistent green owl known for reminding users to complete their lessons, "probably died waiting for you to do your lesson." This narrative aligns with Duo's persona of encouraging consistent learning.

Duolingo said that it's working with "authorities" who are investigating the owl’s cause of death, but, "Tbh, he probably died waiting for you to do your lesson, but what do we know."

"We are aware he had many enemies, but we kindly ask that you refrain from sharing why you hate him in the comments," the company added in a statement.

Following the mascot's death, Duolingo replaced its social media profile photos and app icon to an image of the dead owl, with Xs for eyes.

A TikTok video shared by the brand shows a person dressed up as the bird being carried away in a casket by other Duolingo app characters.

The campaign has sparked various reactions online. Several brands have reacted to his death, including Netflix, Chipotle, Microsoft Copilot, Nothing, Discord, all of which have expressed their condolences. PlayStation, the game Hitman, The Sims, Halo, Assassin's Creed and more also followed with their own posts.

Even the World Health Organization mourns its death.

And as for pop musician Dua Lipa, who has long been the owl's fan, shared a broken-heart emoji, referencing the owl's fictional affection for her.

"Til' death duo part," she said in a post on social media.

who was often referenced in Duolingo’s marketing due to the similarity in their names, was mentioned in the announcement, with the app asking its followers to respect her privacy at the time.

In a follow-up, Duolingo revealed that Duo was "fatally hit by a Tesla Cybertruck," adding a humorous twist to the storyline.

This approach reflects Duolingo's unique blend of humor and engagement, aiming to captivate their audience while reinforcing the importance of regular language practice.

Dua was often referenced in Duolingo's marketing due to sharing a similarity in their names. And in this case, the company asked its followers to respect her privacy at the time.

It's worth noting that there is nothing between Dua Lipa and Duo.

According to the company's spokesperson, Dua's comment "isn’t part of a paid brand partnership," but rather "just the natural evolution of Duo’s long-standing, unrequited love" for her.

"We’re just as shocked (and honored) as anyone that she’s acknowledged his tragic fate."

Duo has been using Dua's name for more than often, and successfully built a brand lore around Duo being in love with Dua.

In once occasion, Duo had even proposed to Dua outside her concert at Madison Square Garden, but she never showed up to meet Duo.