More than selling a "product", decode the culture
- Feb 9
- 2 min read
AMO ESTO! Strategy, data, and Benito. What else do you need? While everyone else was fighting for airtime, Duolingo grabbed the spotlight by creating a cultural moment, and that’s exactly how we do it CROING l Creative Agency 💙
The Duolingo’s "Bad Bunny 101" crash course is a genius move into cultural relevance, by turning Puerto Rican slang into a gamified learning experience. Indentifying a real friction point: the linguistic gap between Bad Bunny’s global English-speaking audience and his Puerto Rican slang, they transformed their platform into a cultural translation tool.
This works perfectly with 2026 culture and marketing momentum because instead of a traditional sixty-second spot, Duo was busy teaching the world how to speak "Benito" in a high-impact five-second "blip". 👏 Emmanuel Orssaud Michelle Scully Mark Pavic Arthur Jun Shannon O'Halloran Melissa Yeung Samantha Zabell
From being a "reminder app" to a high-value cultural moment, gamifying the experience of learning Spanish and real-time notifications, they ensured the brand was felt throughout the entire broadcast. They didn't just reach an audience; they enhanced the way fans connect with the icon they already love.
In an era of passive scrolling, Duolingo chose interactive education, proving that the best marketing doesn’t just sell a product; it decodes the culture. Whether you were there for the football or the "Bad Bunny" streak, one thing is clear: the owl knows exactly how to stay at the center of the conversation.
Did you already sign up for today’s lesson, or is Duo coming for you? 👀✨
I’m Alejandra Salazar, Speaker, Founder & CEO of CROING l Creative Agency where we work with brands that want to get closer to their audience. Here, I share audience insights, creative industry events, culturally relevant campaigns, and spotlight women in the industry. Follow me and join the conversation.
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