Over the weekend, Apple fans formed winding queues outside Apple stores worldwide to get their hands on the new iPhone lineup, which officially went on sale on 23 October.
But standing just metres away from the snaking queues was Duolingo’s ever-familiar green owl mascot, Duo, handing out what the language-learning platform called “Free Apple Duo”, according to photos shared on its Instagram page.
Accompanying the pictures was the cheeky caption: “I heard they’re selling me today?” The brand had set up an apple cart outside an Apple store, with bright green apples bearing stickers of Duo shaped like an apple. Each sticker featured the words “Do your lesson” alongside a QR code that appeared to direct users to the platform.
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Duolingo also put up posters featuring Duo on the screen of Apple’s newly launched iPhone Duo, accompanied by the words “This is Duo”.
MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out for more.
This marks the brand’s second attempt at trendjacking Apple’s entry into the foldable smartphone market. When Apple unveiled its latest lineup in September, Duolingo placed its green owl mascot across an image of a foldable phone, with the same “This is Duo” tagline. The brand joked in its caption: “Let’s hope I don’t get cracked”.
Other brands also joined the conversation. Samsung took aim at Apple’s foldable debut through social media posts poking fun at its rival’s perceived lack of originality, while Samsung Singapore welcomed Apple to the category with a “Welcome to the fold” post. Samsung Mobile also used the attention to spotlight its Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra.
Meanwhile, AirAsia MOVE shared a series of posts highlighting “things you can buy instead of that ‘new’ phone”, while Durex India brought its signature innuendo to the trend with an image of a folded item and the line: “Guess who finally tried a new position.” Its caption continued the play on flexibility, adding: “A little flexibility goes a long way”.
Beyond the social media buzz, Apple’s foldable debut has sparked debate over whether its US$1,999 starting price is justified. According to media intelligence firm CARMA, the iPhone 18 lineup generated 464,674 mentions and 21.5 million engagements globally between 12 August and 11 September, with the iPhone Duo accounting for 49.2% of launch-related mentions. Sentiment around the device leaned positive, driven by its foldable design, innovation and performance, while negative discussion centred on price and value.
Apple also generated nearly nine times as many positive mentions as Samsung, with 76,209 compared with 8,414, as consumers compared the Duo with existing foldable devices. The US drove the most conversation, followed by Thailand, Japan, Brazil and India. While innovation and celebrity influence featured prominently in the US and Thailand, pricing, value, camera performance and accessibility were stronger discussion drivers in Japan, India and Brazil.
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