Link to Pitch Video: https://vimeo.com/490760980
Link to Presentation Slides: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1wOD1_QJx14WBnawJ5Y_MeM9LhQAFY87HtYVPp8EnsSg/edit?usp=sharing
Process
Final Outcomes
Posters
Short Video Advert
Short Film Advert Storyboard
Story-line: Student (main character) getting bored or not being productive > notification pops up on phone > Duo shows up in phone screen > comes to real life > holds hands with the main character > transition into Duolingo art style > character gets to connect with people around the world and learn new language and culture > cheerful ending with Duo waving at the camera
Link to BTS (Behind The Scenes) slides: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1C8-dKvpqNtX77d294uDQmBi9xaAGJwfOcRsBtI8QI5Q/edit?usp=sharing
Written Reflection
Duolingo is a free app which helps you learn new languages with its game-like features that makes it one of a kind. It is the most popular language learning app with over more than 300 million users. The challenge was to reach out to the audience of 16-22 year olds who fall under Gen Z. We were asked to create a campaign concept to reach our target audience the best way possible.
First off, to have a clear understanding of both the brand Duolingo and the target audience, I did some research to collect their truths. After that I highlighted the truths that stood out to me, like Duolingo’s gaming characteristics and Gen Z interests to gather facts. I also looked into Duolingo’s past campaigns to have an idea on how they have presented themselves to the public before. Then I started to brainstorm some campaign ideas.
My initial idea consisted of having a buff Duo with big muscles who would threaten you to download the app. The idea mostly focused on embracing the meme about Duolingo being frightening towards the user which the young generation still joke about. But since the idea felt too similar to the original meme, I decided to go with a different concept.
My final chosen idea plays with the elements of notification which reminds you that Duo wanna spend some time with you; How adorable is that? The strap-line being “Worth your time with Duo.” displays that you won’t regret getting Duolingo. People get more attached to characters rather than an app, so it is a good purpose to have focus on Duo. The idea is to have notification pop ups and Duo interacting with it. A TikTok filter with notification pop up inspired me to go further with this idea. The people being pranked genuinely think that they are real notifications but it is just a filter. Similarly, I wanted to apply this to our social vertical adverts. Audiences could be tricked into thinking they are real notifications but they are just a video advert.
Following this, I listed the visual ideas for posters and video adverts, and proceeded to sketch them roughly. Overall, I used Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Premiere Pro for this project. I am really happy with how the visuals have turned out. Since I have previous experience in using these softwares, it went quite smoothly. My main challenge was to get the Premiere Pro working since it kept crashing in the beginning. Later I figured out that the sizes of the PNGs I was using for animation were too large.
In short, I really enjoyed carrying out this project. It allowed me to explore new art styles which I love doing. The process of researching and coming up with suitable campaign ideas has helped me have an idea on how to take an approach in reaching the right audiences.
Creative and Cultural Industries 
One thought on “Hoohooo It’s Duolingo!”