‘More famous than Mickey Mouse’: Inside Duolingo’s ambitious plan for its viral owl mascot
The Duolingo owl is single-wingedly rewriting the modern mascot playbook and unlocking new business along the way.
On a Friday morning in mid-October, crowds of people—many in elaborate costumes—poured into the Jacob Javits convention center on Manhattan’s far west side. They were attending day two of New York Comic Con 2024, looking to pick up new releases of manga, get their hands on the latest Funko collectibles, and maybe even see a few celebrities. It was a star-studded event, after all, with guests that included WandaVision’s Elizabeth Olsen, Star Wars’s John Boyega, and Josh Brolin from Dune 2. But there was another celebrity with a long line of admirers: the Duolingo owl.
Duo, the bright green, lovable-yet-devious mascot of the language learning app Duolingo, attended the event, posing for photos with adoring fans (and occasionally twerking). His appearance was part of a promotion for Duolingo’s new collaboration with the popular web-comic platform Webtoon on a five-episode series called Duo Unleashed!, starring Duo and his cast of friends.