"Best commercial I have seen this year"— Internet reacts as Duolingo announces the death of their mascot owl Duo

Duolingo has sparked a wave of online reactions after announcing the "death" of its iconic owl mascot, Duo. The language-learning platform, known for its playful and humorous social media presence, shared a post on February 11, 2025, declaring Duo's demise, stating that authorities were investigating the cause.

The announcement, posted on the app's official channels, humorously suggested that Duo "probably died waiting for you to do your lesson." The post read,

"It is with heavy hearts that we inform you that Duo, formally known as The Duolingo Owl, is dead. 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 statement continued, acknowledging that Duo had "many enemies" but requesting fans to refrain from posting about it. Instead, they jokingly encouraged users to sign up for Duolingo Max in his memory.

The post also humorously asked fans to respect "Dua Lipa's privacy at this time," a nod to the app's long-running inside joke about the singer. The internet quickly flooded with reactions, with users sharing their thoughts on the unexpected announcement.

"This is the best commercial I have seen this year. absolute cinema," one X(formerly Twitter) user commented.

"I was forced to use a streak freeze because my lesson for that day (completed at 11:57) didn't register. I killed the owl," another user wrote.

"Bro spent his last days begging me to learn French… and I ignored him... I will never recover from this," a user commented.

Users praised the language learning app announcement as top-tier marketing, joked about unintentionally causing Duo's demise, and humorously lamented ignoring his lesson reminders.

"Stolen app, stolen owl, Duolingo has been a stolen idea and concept all this time :)," a user noted.

"Interesting marketing," another user remarked.

"Duo's last name was Lipa??!!" a user commented.

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Duolingo's marketing genius: How Duo became an icon and its playful ties to Dua Lipa

Duo has been a key part of Duolingo's identity since the company launched in 2012. The green owl, often depicted with a range of emotions from joy to disappointment, has been central to the app's branding. Over the years, Duo became an internet meme, with users joking about the owl "hunting them down" if they forgot to complete their daily lessons.

The app has previously leaned into these jokes, creating viral campaigns where Duo appears outside people's windows or sending users emails that jokingly guilt-trip them into continuing their lessons. This latest announcement seems to be another extension of Duolingo's signature humor, as reported by The Verge on September 26, 2020.

The reference to Dua Lipa in the announcement was not random. Duolingo has playfully associated its mascot with the pop star for years. In July 2023, the app posted on its official website an article titled "Dua Lipa songs which will teach you how to talk like a boss," highlighting her lyrics and comparing them to language-learning techniques, as stated in the Duo app's Official Blog, July 2023.

The app humorously described Duo as having an "unrequited love interest" in the singer, furthering its unique brand of marketing. Various TikTok videos have also played into this theme, with Duo appearing heartbroken over Dua Lipa (TikTok, various videos).