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.
I really enjoyed reading this article because it highlighted how successful marketing is about understanding people and the culture that shapes their decisions, rather than simply promoting a product. The discussion showed that brands create stronger and more meaningful connections when they pay attention to shared experiences, values, and the conversations that matter to their audience. It was interesting to see how cultural relevance can make marketing feel more authentic and memorable instead of purely promotional. Reading this also made me think about Psychology Essay Writing Service in a broader sense, where exploring human behaviour, motivation, and social influence helps students better understand why people think, feel, and respond in different ways. I particularly appreciated the emphasis on looking beyond…