• by Todd Wasserman , December 23, 2021

Duolingo has appropriated the hit Netflix show Emily in Paris, with a new ad from Weiden + Kennedy, Amsterdam that shows French women introducing themselves as “Emily.”

With thick accents, the women, walking around Paris, explain how that Emily made life difficult for them and “ruined our name” because she showed up looking pretty but “didn’t speak a lick of French.”

The women then explain how easy it is to learn a language. “OK, it’s not that easy,” one says, “but it’s fun.” They then say the Duolingo owl is “a little pushy.” The nice thing about speaking French in Paris is that “at least you will know the terrible things that French people are saying about you.”

The gist is that Duolingo is offering one month free.

“Hopefully, we’ll see some of you Emilys in Paris soon,” one says at the close. “But not like too many of you.”

The ad comes as we head into 2022. But a recent survey showed that about one-third (31 percent) of respondents don't plan to make resolutions. A 2021 survey found improving fitness, losing weight and saving money topped the list of resolutions. "Learning a language" didn't make an appearance.