If Duolingo has a strategy, it’s this: move fast, start with the idea—not the budget—and let experimentation do the heavy lifting.
In his Cannes Lions session, Duolingo CMO Emmanuel Orssaud shared the thinking behind the brand’s famously unhinged presence and gave a practical look at how they work. It wasn’t about virality for the sake of it—it was about how creative marketing can scale when teams are empowered to test, react, and build in public.
Here’s how they do it.
1. Start with Ideas, Not Spend
Duolingo’s most effective campaigns didn’t start in a boardroom. They started with low-cost ideas grounded in cultural insight and a willingness to act quickly.
One example: the infamous “Duo is dead” stunt. What began as an app icon change spiralled into a full story arc where the brand’s green owl mascot was declared dead after the Super Bowl. Within hours, the team was filming content at Pittsburgh airport. Days later, they sold “Dead Duo” merch that generated $85,000 in revenue.
“With only a few thousand dollars, we generated twice as much UGC as this year’s top ten Super Bowl ads,” they explained.
The message was clear: money doesn’t fix bad ideas. But it can amplify good ones—if you act fast enough.
2. Build a Culture That Tolerates Failure
Duolingo sets aside 30% of their team’s time to try ideas they don’t yet know will work. That 30% is protected. It’s not tied to OKRs. It’s not expected to be efficient.
“You have to be okay with experiments failing. The important part is running strong retrospectives so we know what to keep and what to drop.”
The other 70% is spent doubling down on what’s already working—driving results, scaling proven formats, and reinforcing momentum.
This balance between structure and risk allows the team to move quickly without getting stuck in cycles of over-analysis.
3. Act Like a Social-First Brand—Everywhere
Duolingo applies the logic of TikTok and short-form content across everything, including a Super Bowl ad.
With just $7,000—about 10% of a typical brand’s spend—they bought a five-second local TV slot. The goal wasn’t reach. It was impact.
“If you can only afford five seconds, they better be the best five seconds you can buy.”
They paired the ad with a perfectly timed push notification to 4 million users and let the internet do the rest. The clip got picked up across major media outlets because, at five seconds, it could be aired in full without editing. It was weird, disruptive, and totally on-brand.
4. Let the Brand Inform the Product
Inside the app, the owl is supportive and encouraging. On social, he’s chaotic and unfiltered. That contrast used to be intentional.
Now, it’s starting to blend.
“You’re starting to see some of the unhinged elements flow back into the product. Because marketing has earned its seat.”
The team is now influencing product development, voice, and even future features. That alignment isn’t built through decks. It’s built by proving what the brand can do—then earning the right to take it further.
5. Grow Through IP, Not Just Ads
Duolingo doesn’t want to be just a language app. They want to be a character-led IP—something closer to Pokémon than Pearson.
This year, they’re launching:
- A game show on YouTube
- An original anime series
- IRL pop-ups and merch drops
Each one is designed to extend their cast of characters and deepen fandom connections. It’s not about diversification for the sake of it—it’s about consistency across digital and physical spaces.
“Our brand was built by connecting with fandoms. Now we want to do that across formats and platforms.”
Final Take
Five key principles from their session:
- Start with your team’s strengths
- Treat constraints as fuel
- Protect time to experiment
- Keep what works and move fast on what doesn’t
- Use marketing to inspire the rest of the business
Duolingo’s work looks chaotic on the surface—but underneath is a process built on speed, structure, and trust. No five-year plan. Just experiments that scale.