• by Danielle Oster , December 13, 2024

Quoth the owl: “Learn Korean or Else.”

Duolingo’s familiar Duo the Owl mascot gets vaguely threatening in a new campaign in collaboration with Netflix ahead of the upcoming second season of “Squid Game,” debuting Dec. 26.

The first season of “Squid Game” was a major hit for Netflix upon its release in 2021, with the Korean-language dystopian survival thriller/horror series  proving such a cultural force that it inspired viewers to learn Korean.

The pitch, essentially, is that viewers can pick up on key cultural context they’d otherwise miss by learning Korean.

“We saw a 40% increase in Korean learners just after 'Squid Game'Season 1, underscoring the powerful connection between entertainment, culture, and language learning,” Duolingo CMO Manu Orssaud said in a statement. “This campaign allows us to continue that momentum in a way only Duolingo can—with humor, intensity, and a bit of chaos! We hope fans will accept Duo’s challenge to learn Korean and immerse themselves in the experience.”

The brand’s familiar owl mascot, Duo the Owl, will feature throughout the campaign – taking on the role of a “Pink Guard” from the series (an unusual casting for a brand mascot given how many people are killed by the guards in “Squid Game,” but then Duolingo has been known to go some weird places with the character).

Led by Duolingo’s internal creative team, the campaign kicked off Dec. 10, with updates to the Korean language course on Duolingo thematically linking the service to “Squid Game,” including the addition of more than 40 words and phrases from the show.

A teaser-style video – also launched on December 10 – introduced  Duo in “PInk Guard” garb, relaying the “Learn Korean or Else” message to viewers, running on Netflix’s ad-supported plan. The brand followed this up with a “Korean Or Get Eaten” extended music video where, Duo leads a dance routine as Pink Guards chase down Duo users who forgot to complete their Korean lessons. The video is running across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.

The campaign’s OOH component will feature installments across Koreatown billboards in Los Angeles and New York City, featuring “cryptic Korean messages” that ominously challenge viewers to “learn Korean to stay safe.” It will also include what the brand describes as a “live stunt” in which Duo and a group of Pink Guards will “hack Netflix’s iconic Sunset Boulevard marquee billboard, replacing the English words with Korean.”