DUOLINGO x EMILY IN PARIS / TECHDO BETTER THAN EMILY
When Emily in Paris returned for the new season,
Duolingo saw a cultural moment to promote its French learning experience.
We turned the conversation into a playful activation — encouraging real Emilys to arrive in Paris better prepared than the fictional one.
CONCEPT / 01
We created a humorous film featuring real Emilys living in Paris, addressing the camera directly and calling on fellow Emilys worldwide to restore their name’s reputation — by learning at least a little French before stepping into the city.
ACTIVATION / 02
The idea extended into a social-first activation.
Duolingo unlocked its premium learning tier for free to anyone named Emily, transforming a pop-culture moment into a participatory brand experience that sparked widespread sharing and conversation online.
IMPACT / 03
The campaign generated strong organic reach, drove new app sign-ups and even prompted a public reaction from Lily Collins — demonstrating how cultural relevance and humour can amplify brand engagement beyond traditional media investment.
Art direction and campaign development while at BETC Paris.