Last Saturday (September 14),Duoshowed up to theconcertin Detroit, Michigan, wearing a “Brat” shirt, the title of Charli’s album.
By the time the bright green owl was kicked out of the venue, it had already generated buzz online.
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Image credits:duolingo
In fact, over the past few months, social media users have suggested a connection between the summer album and the viral mascot, noting their similar shade of green and the company’s history of embracingGen-Ztrends.
When the opportunity to collaborate—directly or indirectly—with a massive trend arises, brands are quick to respond.
The language-learning company used a color association strategy, linking the color of Charli’sBratalbum cover to that of their mascot
Image credits:charli_xcx
Explaining what “Brat” means to her,Charli said, “You’re just like that girl who is a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things sometimes. Who feels herself but maybe also has a breakdown. But kind of like, parties through it, is very honest, very blunt.”
The trend took over TikTok, with hundreds of posts under the hashtag #bratsummer.
Duo showed up to the Sweat Tour wearing a “Brat” shirt
“Hay una fiesta en mi casa, vengan. Será muy divertido,” the pop star says, translating to, “There is a party at my house, come. It will be very fun.”
In another voice note at the end of the song, Dua, who has previouslycollaboratedwith Duolingo, says, “J’ai perdu mon téléphone mais tu sais quoi? Ça valait la peine parce que c’était une soirée de fou,” which means, “I lost my phone, but you know what? It was worth it because it was an insane party.”
Inside the venue, concertgoers were in for another surprise. TheAmerican companyhad arranged for 20 employees to wear Duolingo heads, making the vibrant green owlseasy to spotfrom anywhere in the Little Caesars Arena.
That included the stage, too. During her performance, Charli gave a shoutout to the flock of birds who were jumping up and down to her electrifying, club-like beats.
On X, the company quoted a line from “Talk Talk,” a remix on the album where Dua Lipa sings in French and Spanish
The educational tech company shared their accomplishment on social media, generating even more engagement for the brand.
According to several TikTok users,Duolingoemployees were also handing out “Bratgreen” merchandise featuring the company’s mascot before the start of the show.
Previously, the Duolingo TikTok accountposted a videoof the iconic bird doing push-ups and other exercises in its “Brat” shirt.
“Training for Sweat Tour so I can fit through the door,” the overlay caption reads. The “bird” further declared, “Brat summer isn’t over until I say so.” (Charli XCX announced that Brat summer was officially over in a post on X.)
The company also arranged for several employees to wear Duo heads at the show
Duolingo’s recent posts have amassed millions of views onsocial media, with many users praising thebrandfor tapping into pop culture with its amusing ideas.
“Duolingo’smarketing teamdeserves a raise,” one fan said.
“Duolingo really is the original creator ofBratgreen, huh,” another commented.
“Duolingo at a Charli XCX and Troye Sivan concert? That’s so random but kinda cool,” wrote a third user.
“The owl really knows how to stay on trend. Wonder what languages it’s learning at the concert,” a separate individual added.
The vibrant green owls even got a shoutout from Charli XCX herself
Image credits:kelsdempz
Zaria Parvez, the company’s Senior Global Social Media Manager, celebrated the achievement on LinkedIn.
Image credits:fancymeswift
According toKeyhole, Duolingo targets an audience that wants to learn a new language but doesn’t have the means to afford regular language courses. This includesGen Zand millennials in the age group of 16 to 34.
To appeal to their target audience, they gamify the learning process and invest in creating a playful social media presence, using informal language—their TikTok bio is “just an owl tryna vibe”—references to memes, and young celebrities.
“Duolingo marketing team is on another level,” a TikTok user wrote
Lei RV
Karina Babenok
Renan Duarte
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