After Duolingo’s bright green owl mascot Duo made a surprise appearance at the star-studded “Barbie” premiere in Los Angeles last week, the language learning app is making the jump from the “pink carpet” to the movie screen with a 30-second ad spot running before the movie.
Dozens of brands have cashed in on the marketing frenzy surrounding “Barbie”—which, after months of pop culture hype, is now in theaters. While the majority of these brands have tied themselves to the highly-anticipated film with hot pink product collaborations, Duolingo is unique among this rush, as the app is actually featured in the film.
Also see: The ad industry gets in on the ‘Barbie’ craze
The brand’s inclusion in the wildly popular “Barbie” movie is merely a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment—(spoiler alert) its “ding” sound effect plays when a person submits a correct answer on the Duolingo app. Its marketing team immediately sought to capitalize on its inclusion, however minor, James Kuczynski, Duolingo’s creative director, told Ad Age.