Spoiler: This involves BTS, Bollywood Twitter, and bold levels of unhinged energy.
Most brands try to look smart.
Duolingo? Tries to look unhinged and ends up looking like a genius.
You’ve seen it: the giant green owl thirsting over BTS, roasting Google Translate, or crashing trending topics with Lily’s deadpan chaos and eyeliner sharper than your algorithm strategy. 
It’s pure internet anarchy and somehow still, incredibly, on-brand.
She is an introverted, unenthused, deadpan goth teen who secretly cares a lot. “On an emotional scale of 1-10, Lily is at a -4. Lily’s perpetually unamused facial expression has one clear message: stay away. If you check her Spotify, she might have Girl in Red on her playlist. Who needs therapy when you can just dye your hair?”
— Lily‘s official character bio on the Duolingo Instagram.
While we might not have TikTok to play on, we do have the audiences, the pop culture, and the internet’s deeply unserious mood. We just need to stop playing it so safe.
🧠 1. Entertain first. Sell later.
Duolingo’s posts almost never scream “Start learning German today!”
Instead, they go:
- “You skipped Spanish again. Lily is not surprised.”
- “BTS sings in 3 languages. What’s your excuse?”
- “This Ranveer Singh interview is actually a French listening test now.”
And guess what? We remember them. We share them. And when we finally cave and download the app to learn Italian for a Europe trip we’re not taking? Guess who’s top of mind?
We don’t always need to pitch in every post.
Sometimes being funny is the funnel.
💬 2. Speak like the internet. Not like a brochure.
Duolingo doesn’t sound like a brand.
It sounds like your chaotic, meme-addicted, pop-culture-possessed friend who sends reels at 3 AM and definitely overuses the 💀 emoji.
Meanwhile, so many brands are still stuck in “Dear user, kindly explore our features” mode, while the internet is busy tagging friends in owl memes and Lily’s perfectly-timed eye-rolls.
Want engagement? Drop the jargon.
Speak the way the timeline speaks: unfiltered, slightly unhinged, occasionally cringe, always real.
🎯 3. The madness is the method.
It might look like pure meme mayhem, but there’s structure under the chaos.
Duolingo characters are visual anchors. The tone? Loud, petty, pop-obsessed, and completely consistent.
Even when it’s replying to a comment with “we see you ignoring your lessons 👀,” the brand’s storytelling arc remains clear: The app that knows you’re slacking and will lovingly bully you into coming back.
There’s freedom in the format. But discipline in the delivery.
That’s what great branding does: it lets you be messy on purpose.
Final thought:
We don’t need a green owl, a goth mascot, or a parasocial crush on Jimin.
But we do need:
• A clear, ownable voice
• Cultural radar turned way up
• And the courage to stop sounding like a 2012 newsletter
Because let’s be honest, no one shares “value-driven storytelling.”
They share memes.
.
.
.
Anyway, that’s enough brand strategy for today. Time to open the app and keep my 554-day streak alive before the owl does something dramatic.
*coughs, humble brag ahead…
Epic analysis 🤣 agree with everything written… I was laughing through and through…
Such is the effect of the chaotic green sassy owl!
Jokes aside, thank you for the appreciation.