The Super Bowl Is No Longer Just a Game
Once upon a time, the Super Bowl was about football. Cute, right? Now, it’s a cultural juggernaut where the game itself is almost an afterthought. What actually matters? The halftime show, the ads, the memes, the Twitter wars, and the inevitable brand pile-on that follows.Super Bowl LIX (2025) proved this like never before. The most-watched halftime show in history didn’t just overshadow the game — it obliterated it. Think about it: can you name the winning team? Do you recall the final score? No? Yet, you remember the halftime performance, the viral moments, and – oddly enough – the murder of the Duolingo owl.
Yes, one of the biggest digital highlights from this year’s Super Bowl wasn’t a $7 million commercial, but a green bird’s mysterious demise. And behind it all? Duolingo, the app that usually just guilts you into learning Spanish, played the internet like a violin.
The Halftime Show That Broke the Internet
The Super Bowl 2025 halftime show didn’t simply set records — it hijacked every online conversation. Whoever thought we’d reach a day when a 12-minute performance could completely eclipse the actual championship game, the ads, and every billion-dollar brand trying to make noise? Yet, that’s exactly what happened. Social media feeds weren’t debating the game plays or dissecting ad strategies — they were a tsunami of halftime clips, reactions, and memes. The numbers were staggering: record-breaking live viewership, peak streaming engagement, and social media mentions that made every marketing executive sigh in existential crisis.
This was more than just a performance. It was a cultural tidal wave — one that savvy brands could either ride or get swallowed by. Duolingo? They didn’t just ride it, they turned it into their own personal amusement park.
Duolingo’s Masterclass In Riding the Wave
- Community Management: Getting in the Right Conversations
While most brands were busy dropping their meticulously crafted, pre-scheduled Super Bowl posts, Duolingo did something radically effective: they actually paid attention.
The brand’s social media team didn’t just observe the halftime hype; they jumped in headfirst, engaging in real-time conversations, commenting under viral posts, and making sure their voice was right where people were already looking.
This is what separates brands who do social from brands who own social — understanding that sometimes, being part of the conversation is more valuable than trying to force your own. - Turning Engagement Into a Viral Moment: The Drake Feud
Then, Duolingo did something no one saw coming: they made the Super Bowl conversation about them.
How? By weaponizing one of the biggest ongoing cultural moments — the Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake beef.
It started subtly. A few cryptic tweets. A couple of playful “Are we sure Drake didn’t do this?” comments. And then, as fans started connecting the dots, Duolingo leaned all the way in. They let the internet do what it does best: speculate wildly and create free viral marketing.
The results? Social media ran with it. Fan theories spiraled. Conspiracies brewed. Duolingo played coy, fueling the fire just enough to keep engagement skyrocketing. - The Ultimate Pivot: The “Duo Is Dead” Marketing Stunt
Just as the “Drake killed Duo” theory was reaching its peak, Duolingo flipped the script. Suddenly, it wasn’t about Drake anymore — it was about something even more ridiculous: Duo, the iconic green owl, was tragically run over. By whom? Well, that part wasn’t up for interpretation: a Tesla Cybertruck. And as the internet debated Duo’s fate, something wild happened: brands flooded Duolingo’s comment section, participating in the absurdity.
Fast-food giants, fintech startups, even airlines — everybody wanted in on the joke. And with every brand engagement, the campaign’s visibility grew. What started as community management turned into one of the most successful viral marketing stunts of the year.
To capitalize on the moment, Duolingo added daily quests to the app, encouraging users to “help revive Duo” by completing language lessons. And because no viral stunt is complete without some merch, they also launched limited-edition plushies of “Dead Duo”, featuring X-ed out eyes and an adorably tragic pose.
The Bigger Lesson: How Brands Can Own Cultural Moments Without Buying Ads
- It’s Not About the Budget, It’s About the Moment
Duolingo didn’t need a multimillion-dollar Super Bowl commercial. They needed the right timing and the right cultural awareness.
While other brands were dropping ad campaigns that had been in the works for months, Duolingo stole the week’s biggest spotlight by simply reading the room better than anyone else. - Being Chronically Online Pays Off
This is where brands fall short. They want the engagement without actually living in the culture.
Duolingo didn’t just react fast — they understood the cultural moments they were tapping into. They knew how to balance humor, absurdity, and internet language to create something people genuinely wanted to talk about. - Community Management Is the New Brand Awareness Playbook
Once upon a time, community management was just about responding to customer inquiries. Today? It’s one of the biggest levers for brand visibility.
Duolingo proved that replying to the right tweet at the right time can generate more engagement than a multimillion-dollar marketing campaign. That’s not luck. That’s strategy.
The Super Bowl as a Playground for Brands
The biggest lesson from Super Bowl 2025? Owning the digital conversation is more valuable than owning a primetime TV slot.Duolingo didn’t pay for airtime, yet they walked away with one of the biggest brand moments of the year.
The takeaway? The future of marketing belongs to brands that move fast, understand culture, and aren’t afraid to turn community engagement into full-blown moments.
Because in 2025, the real Super Bowl MVP wasn’t on the field. It was an owl. And he’s dead now.
By Davide Dichiara
