On February 11, Duolingo shared “an necessary message” on X (previously Twitter), asserting the passing of Duo, the model’s mascot owl. The publish ended unexpectedly by mentioning Dua Lipa as they word-played utilizing the pop star’s title to Duo. Dua Lipa reshared Duolingo’s publish with “Til’ loss of life duo half” and a damaged coronary heart emoji.
Duolingo, the globally famend language studying platform, is known for its dramatic messages. Although it makes use of varied characters, The Duolingo Owl — famously generally known as Duo — was its mascot.
Abiding by their theatrical tendencies, the corporate pulled an unanticipated transfer by sharing an “obituary publish” on Tuesday. They took to X (previously Twitter) and introduced that Duo had unexpectedly handed away.
Ending playfully, the write-up stated, “We recognize you respecting Dua Lipa’s privateness at the moment.” This was an sudden twist to the “in memoriam” publish nevertheless it allowed netizens to share their hilarious reactions within the remark part. One wrote, “$DUO x DUA,” whereas others flooded the feedback with Dua Lipa’s response memes as a tribute to the pop star’s unexpected point out.
Dua responded to the tweet with “Til’ loss of life duo half,” giving the state of affairs an iconic closing second. In accordance with one of many Duolingo representatives who addressed the state of affairs with CNN, the tweet was as shocking for the corporate because it was for the netizens. As such, it was natural — neither scripted nor a paid collaboration.
Apart from having related names, Dua Lipa and Duo share a lesser-known historical past, which the Duolingo consultant reiterated. He reminded the viewers of Duo’s unrequited love for Dua Lipa, and the way he proposed to her exterior her live performance in Madison Sq. Backyard. Duo’s determined makes an attempt at wooing Dua turned considered one of Duolingo’s well-known methods to draw consideration.
Duolingo’s X publish additionally talked about that the reason for Duo’s loss of life was unknown. Nevertheless, it did state that “he in all probability died ready so that you can do your lesson.” Talking with CNN, the consultant for Duolingo stated, “Duo is perhaps lifeless, however our model may be very a lot alive (and nonetheless as unhinged as ever).” Therefore, the teachings and reminders will nonetheless be there to maintain the learners engaged and motivated.