MUMBAI: Talented orchestrates Duolingo’s entry in Tamil Nadu. The Tamil pop culture-infused campaign launches Duolingo’s latest ‘Learn English from Tamil’ course. Enter English Vaathi Duo. Conceptualised by Talented for Duolingo’s latest language-learning course, ‘Learn English from Tamil,’ the campaign draws inspiration from ‘Vaathi’, the Tamil word for teacher, with a nod to the fanfare of Tamil cinema.
This is the fourth Indic course offered by Duolingo a language-learning app, in their series of English lessons taught in regional languages, following Hindi, Bengali, and Telugu.
From embodying the mass entry swagger of Kollywood to adopting a moniker that refl ects Tamil Nadu’s deep-rooted love for nicknames, the campaign aims to fuse the brand’s universal appeal with local pride.
The social-first campaign leverages pop culture moments, complete with dance sequences, kuthu beats and life theatrics to seamlessly blend Duo’s personality with Tamil Nadu’s superstar culture
Karandeep Singh Kapany, regional marketing director, Duolingo India, said, “Localisation lies at the heart of our mission to make language learning accessible and relevant for everyone. With the ‘Learn English from Tamil’ course, we’re excited to off er Tamil speakers an opportunity to learn English in a way that feels culturally resonant and engaging. India’s linguistic diversity inspires us to create courses that reflect the unique needs of our users, and this launch is another step in our journey to empower learners across the country.”
“In Tamil Nadu, earning a moniker isn’t just about a name—it’s a rite of passage. It signifi es a connection with the people, an acceptance into the cultural fabric of this vibrant state. With ‘English Vaathi Duo,’ we wanted to create a moniker that not only refl ects Duo’s role as a teacher but also becomes a natural extension of Tamil Nadu’s pop culture landscape. This campaign was the result of a true meeting of minds between the brand, production, and agency teams, moving in lockstep to every stage with a shared excitement, trust and unwavering commitment to the idea” said Abhishek and Nikhil Unni, Brand Strategy and Creative at Talented.
With ‘Learn English from Tamil,’ Duolingo offers a free experience for Tamil learners to build their English skills.
“Duo, a mascot with a global mass appeal and an outrageous brand of humour, gave us the perfect canvas to reimagine his personality through the lens of Tamil cinema’s fl air and energy. Exploring this superstar fl avor for the campaign was not just a fun creative challenge but an incredibly rewarding experience that allowed us to celebrate the best of both worlds” said Abhishek Jayakrishnan and Naveen Cano, Directors and co-founders at Out of Syllabus Productions.
Watch the film here:
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