Field Trip! by Duolingo

Duolingo is best known for its unhinged owl that dominates social feeds. But behind the memes sits a serious mission: free education with global impact. The brief was to turn that quiet mission into a loud conversation: a bold, shareable idea that gets 16–24-year-olds to see Duolingo as a powerful force for good.

We started from a cultural insight: "No Sabo" kids and other second-generation immigrants who struggle to communicate with their own families in their heritage language. From there came Field Trip, a Netflix series that sends second-gen celebrities, influencers, and everyday people back to their heritage countries, armed with nothing but Duolingo. Each episode follows them through simple daily tasks: ordering food, meeting locals, or reconnecting with family, using the Duolingo app alone.

The result is a campaign built for media coverage and UGC: warm, funny, genuinely moving moments that reframe Duolingo from an unhinged mascot into a tool for real human connection.