China – Duolingo has generated widespread attention in China after a campaign featuring the fictional resignation of its mascot attracted job offers from more than 300 brands and evolved into a broader hiring initiative targeting young people.
Created by Fred & Farid Shanghai, the “Duo’s Great Resignation” campaign centred on Duolingo’s mascot, Duo, announcing his resignation, tapping into growing conversations around burnout, job dissatisfaction, and career uncertainty among Gen Z consumers in China.
The campaign quickly gained traction online, with more than 300 international and local brands joining the conversation through mock job offers for the mascot. Participating brands included Subway, Burger King, FILA, Unilever, HP, and Buick, alongside Chinese companies such as Meituan, Haidilao, Tencent, Honor, JD.com, and Yili. The fictional offers ranged from delivery jobs to executive roles.
As the campaign expanded, Duolingo and Fred & Farid Shanghai converted the fictional job offers into real employment opportunities for young people in China.
According to the companies, the campaign generated more than 108 million social impressions, over 100,000 in-app engagements, and upwards of 150 media mentions.
