Duo the owl, the mascot of the Duolingo language-learning app, was recently killed off by the company. And now, you can buy him in a coffin.
After the Super Bowl on Feb. 9, Duo cheerfully mocked the (metaphorical) death of rapper Drake during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance, posting a crude animation with the caption, “Drake after attending his own funeral on national tv.” But two days later, it was the green cartoon owl who ended up dead, murdered by Duolingo’s marketing team.
After the announcement, the company advertised the sale of Duo plushies in coffin-shaped boxes, writing “All Duo Plushie purchases come with a free, limited edition memorial coffin box, while supplies last.”
A video showed Duolingo’s other language-helper characters also in coffin-shaped boxes and with Xs for eyes. But a spokesperson for Duolingo told in an email that there’s no official “dead” version of the Duo plushie, or of his friends.
“The designs you’ve seen on social media are just part of the fun storytelling around Duo’s demise,” the spokesperson said.
But the Duo plushie, the coffin-shaped box, and an enamel pin showing Duo with X’ed out eyes, are all really for sale.
In a mock-somber social-media post, the language app company announced Duo’s death, writing, “Authorities are currently investigating his cause of death and we are cooperating fully. Tbh, he probably died waiting for you to do your lesson, but what do we know.”
The post, which appeared on multiple platforms, mentioned that Duo, “Formally known as The Duolingo Owl,” had “many enemies.” Duolingo then posted a memorial, referring to the mascot as Duo Keyshauna Renee Lingo. “In lieu of flowers, please do a Duolingo lesson,” the company wrote. A TikTok video showed other mascots transporting a coffin containing the owl onto a pickup truck.
In another post, Duolingo said, “Update: Officials have identified cause of death. More details to follow. Thank you for holding space for Duolingo.”
Hours later, Duolingo didn’t reveal a culprit, but did show the manner of death: In a video, Duo is hit by a Tesla Cybertruck after a warning that the content may be sensitive to some owls.
The dead mascot floats through the cosmos and past a scary set of gates (do mascots go to hell?). In a caption, the company said, “Reward for whoever can identify the driver.”
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The blitz of posts drew attention from internet meme-makers, who speculated on how the death came to be, and brands including Baskin Robbins and Cheez-Its as well as the game Halo and streamer Netflix acknowledged the fictional passing, the last of these with a Squid Game tie-in. The Monster Hunter game franchise tried to take credit for the death in its own post.
Perhaps most bizarrely (or sweetly, depending on your point of view), pop star Dua Lipa posted: “Til’ death duo part” with a broken-heart emoji. Dua Lipa previously appeared in a video with the mascot and was, in this fictional narrative, perhaps dating the owl. In the death notice, Duolingo wrote, “We appreciate you respecting Dua Lipa’s privacy at this time.”
While the online world awaits answers for what caused Duo’s death (besides priceless marketing attention), the parts of the internet in on the joke will continue to mourn while others ask, in owl-like fashion: “Who?”
In 2020, another brand famously killed off its mascot: Mr. Peanut was roasted by Planters in an ad that ran before that year’s Super Bowl. Mr. Peanut’s death didn’t last long, however; he was resurrected as a baby nut in an ad that ran during the game.
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