Meme Culture Is Making an Impact
Duo’s Dead. The Internet’s Losing It. And Brands Should Pay Attention.
Duolingo’s owl is dead.
At least, that’s what the brand wants us to believe.
In a marketing move that should feel reckless but is actually genius, Duolingo announced that their chaotic green mascot, Duo, has died. No explanation, no warning — just a dramatic, meme-fueled mystery for the internet to obsess over. And it’s working.
But this isn’t just another viral stunt. This is meme marketing at its peak — where shock value, humor, and audience participation collide to create real brand affinity. And brands that get it — like Scrub Daddy, TOPDON (our client), and Liquid Death — are winning.
Why Killing Duo Was a Brilliant Move
Duolingo has spent years turning their push notification menace of an owl into a full-fledged internet personality. He didn’t just remind you to finish your lessons — he threatened you, flirted with Dua Lipa, and somehow made language-learning feel like a hostage situation. People didn’t just recognize Duo; they had a love-hate relationship with him.
So when Duolingo killed him off, the internet lost it.
This is shock marketing in action — the strategy of making a bold, unexpected move that demands attention. And brands that embrace this level of risk tend to reap massive engagement.
Scrub Daddy: The Sponge That Shouldn’t Be This Funny
Duolingo isn’t the only brand leaning into unhinged marketing. Scrub Daddy — yes, the smiling sponge from Shark Tank — has somehow become one of the funniest brands on social media. From thirst traps to absurd brand collabs, they’ve built an empire on being weird. So, of course, when Duo met his untimely demise, Scrub Daddy wasted no time jumping into the chaos — posting memes, reacting in real time, and making sure their bubbly personality stayed front and center in the cultural moment.
It’s the kind of reactive, irreverent marketing that keeps audiences engaged and proves that brands willing to embrace the ridiculous get to own the conversation.
TOPDON: How We Turn Car Troubles Into Content
No one’s throwing a party over their OBD2 scanner, but if you’re a mechanic, a car nerd, or just someone who’s battled a check engine light, TOPDON gets you. Instead of another “best-in-class” product pitch, we took a different route — memes that hit where it hurts (and where it’s funny).
The struggle of a rusted bolt that won’t budge. The dread of an error code you’ve never seen. The sinking feeling when the mechanic says, “This one’s gonna be pricey.” Instead of just selling, we’re speaking the language of car trouble — turning real frustrations into relatable content that keeps their audience laughing, engaged, and actually remembering their name.
The Future of Marketing: Less Perfect, More Personality
Duolingo, Scrub Daddy, Liquid Death, and TOPDON prove one thing: marketing doesn’t need to be polished — it needs to be real.
Brands that take risks, lean into humor, and embrace meme culture aren’t just getting attention — they’re building relationships. And in an era where consumers scroll past traditional ads in milliseconds, that’s the difference between being forgotten and becoming culturally relevant.
So, RIP Duo (for now). You were annoying, you were aggressive, and you were marketing gold. 💀🦉
