Duolingo’s mascot Duo the Owl is brought back to life through a playful homage to fitness influencer Ashton Hall’s extravagant morning rituals, following a controversial death hoax.
On March 26, 2025, Duolingo, the popular language-learning application, revitalised its mascot Duo the Owl by recreating a viral morning routine from fitness influencer Ashton Hall. The recreation was shared on the social platform X, where the owl was seen closely mimicking Hall’s regimented lifestyle, which prominently encompasses work, exercise, and a distinct eating routine.
The impetus for Duolingo’s post followed Hall’s initial video, which gained considerable attention on March 24, detailing his intricate morning rituals. Hall’s routine, described in a Mashable report, runs from 3:50 AM to 9:30 AM and includes elements such as drinking water, exercising, and an unconventional ice water facial immersion.
Interestingly, Duolingo’s homage to Hall comes shortly after a controversial campaign where they announced on February 11, 2025, that Duo had “died”, leading to considerable speculation among users. However, this narrative turned intriguing when, on February 24, the brand clarified on Instagram that the mascot’s demise was a ruse.
Following the latest video’s release, responses from the online community emerged, indicating mixed reactions. Some users expressed confusion regarding Duo’s supposed death, while others commended the brand’s innovative marketing strategies. One user remarked, “I got called a slanderer when I said this b*tch was the pick me of all pick me brand accounts”. This sentiment was echoed by another who quipped, “Wait hold up a second I thought Duolingo was killed, now he is back as a steroid-using bodybuilder?”
Conversely, a number of viewers appreciated the comedic angle of Duolingo’s recent content, with one stating, “Whoever is in charge of Duolingo’s social media needs a raise,” and another proclaiming, “The type of content we needed today”. The juxtaposition of light-heartedness against the earlier announcement of Duo’s “death” has caused ripples of laughter among many.
Hall’s original morning routine video features various activities, including drinking from a blue Saratoga bottle, exercising, engaging in diary writing, and performing the icy water dunking. This style of morning preparation has recently gathered attention from other influencers as well. Notably, popular YouTuber MrBeast participated in this trend on the same day as Hall’s routine, posting a humorous exchange with his personal assistant about similar tasks.
Duolingo’s marketing manoeuvre reflects a blend of humour and engagement typical of modern social media strategies, demonstrating the brand’s intent to connect with audiences amid the saturation of online entertainment.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.noahwire.com – Corroborates the overall context and source of information regarding Duolingo’s marketing strategy with Duo the Owl.
- https://cleveland.binnews.com/content/2025-03-24-this-isnt-life-fitness-influencers-extreme-morning-routine-goes-viral/ – Supports details about Ashton Hall’s viral morning routine, which was a precursor to Duolingo’s recreation involving Duo the Owl.
- https://www.x.com – Assumed source for Duolingo’s social media post involving Duo mimicking Ashton Hall’s routine on the platform X.
- https://www.instagram.com/duolingo/ – Corroborates Duolingo’s earlier campaign announcing Duo’s ‘death’ before clarifying it was a marketing strategy.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=[MrBeast’s Video URL] – Would support MrBeast’s involvement in a similar morning routine trend, though the specific URL is missing.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
9
Notes:
The narrative references recent events, such as Ashton Hall’s morning routine video on March 24, 2025, and Duolingo’s post on March 26, 2025. The information is timely and appears to be current.
Quotes check
Score:
6
Notes:
No direct quotes from specific original sources are provided in the narrative. The quotes included are reactions from the online community and lack specific references to when and where they were first published.
Source reliability
Score:
6
Notes:
The narrative lacks explicit information about the origin or credibility of its sources. It references other publications, like Mashable, but does not provide links or explicit citations to verify the claims.
Plausability check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative’s claims about Duolingo and Ashton Hall are plausible and align with known marketing strategies and trends in social media. However, without direct sources or citations, verification remains somewhat limited.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): OPEN
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The narrative is timely and discusses plausible marketing strategies. However, its lack of explicit citations and direct quotes from original sources limits confidence in its reliability and accuracy.
