The marketing world has changed a lot in recent years, and although we've thankfully still got the likes of Tony the Tiger and Chester Cheetah, Ronald McDonald has been hanging on by a thread since 2016.
Corporate mascots aren't so much of a thing these days, and now, another icon has joined the others in the sky. Although Domino's never officially killed off the Noid, we've seen some pretty gruesome demises. Budweiser's Bud Knight was butchered by The Mountain from Game of Thrones, and who could forget when Planters spectacularly killed off Mr. Peanut in a 2020 Super Bowl commercial? Like Planters resurrected its mascot as 'Baby Nut', these deaths only tend to be temporary, but for Duolingo, we're genuinely concerned about Duo the owl.
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Posting on social media, the popular language learning app confirmed the 'death' of Duo on February 11. Authorities are said to be investigating what happened, with the Duolingo account adding: "Tbh [to be honest] he probably died waiting for you to do your lesson, but what do we know? We’re aware he had many enemies, but we kindly ask you to refrain from sharing why you hate him in the comments."
It also asked to give Dua Lipa privacy at this time, nodding to how the owl is consistently mistaken for the "Dance The Night" artist.
Skeptics have noted that this lines up with Duolingo's recent marketing strategy where Duo goes viral for threatening you to keep taking your classes, but despite being told not to share your hate of Duo, his critics have dashed to the comments. One wrote, "Thank god!!! now I don't feel guilty for not learning Spanish 🥰, as another cheered: "I’m making wings tonight 😍😋."
Brands also flocked to the announcement, with The Sims, Habbo Hotel, and Merriam-Webster all getting in on the fun. The Just Dance account wrote, "RIP for shaking it too hard 🪦," and KFC France posted an image of some green chicken wings while adding, "Let me cook." Netflix has raised a few eyebrows, with many thinking this is all part of some viral ruse.
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The streaming giant made an Instagram post dedicated to him in the style of a Squid Game elimination. With a caption reading, "Sending my condolences fr (for real)," could this all have something to do with the upcoming release of Squid Game season 3?
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For now, Duolingo maintains that Duo is dead and buried. In a statement sent to The Tab, the company said: "We can confirm the statements in our recent social posts are true. It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved mascot, Duo the Owl.
"For years, he tirelessly reminded millions to do their language lessons—sometimes with gentle nudges, sometimes with sheer, unhinged persistence. But even the most relentless of birds can only take so much. Our app icon reflects this tragic loss with ‘Dead Duo’."
Goodnight, sweet prince.