Green owls take flight: Duolingo and Tokopedia's mascot swap goes viral in Indonesia

Two of Indonesia’s most recognisable green mascots are rewriting the rules of brand rivalry. What once existed as a playful online “feud” between language-learning app Duolingo’s mischievous owl, Duo, and eCommerce giant Tokopedia’s cheerful green mascot, Toped, has now blossomed into a full-fledged marketing collaboration.

The alliance might seem unexpected at first glance. After all, one is an educational platform dedicated to making language learning fun and accessible, while the other is a digital marketplace powering millions of sellers and buyers nationwide. Yet for Indonesian audiences, the pairing feels instinctively right.

Both brands have been part of Indonesia’s online culture, frequently appearing in memes, viral content, and user-generated posts thanks to their similarly iconic mascots. By leveraging this shared pop-culture presence, the mascots now act as ambassadors of connection, bridging the gap between education and commerce through social media account swaps, billboards, interactive activations, and the launch of a merchandise store.

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A viral social media swap

The collaboration kicked off with a playful social media stunt. For one day, Duo took over Tokopedia’s TikTok account with the cheeky message: “Not Tokopedia. Don’t ask for deals”. Meanwhile, Toped appeared on Duolingo Indonesia’s account to clarify in equally humorous fashion: “Not Duolingo. Not teaching languages”.

Fans reacted with delight as both accounts also updated their bios with witty references to the swap, amplifying the viral buzz and sparking a flurry of user-generated content. A social media post by local digital media platform Folkative, highlighting the “rivalry”, garnered 220,000 likes within just one week.

“So funny, please don’t get along just yet,” an Instagram user commented. “Their father and mother must be proud - having two successful children, one becoming an entrepreneur and the other a teacher,” another user joked.

The offline presence was equally striking: side-by-side billboards in central Jakarta playfully “corrected” the mascots’ identities. Tokopedia highlighted its role as an eCommerce platform with the best deals, while Duolingo showcased its accessible and gamified language-learning experience.

Diving into fandom culture

The collaboration extended to a K-pop dance battle near Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on 2 November 2025. Both brands, long-engaged with K-fandom culture - Duolingo through social campaigns with K-pop groups and Tokopedia via long-term concert sponsorships - leveraged this shared interest to create an interactive, culturally resonant experience.

As a further extension of the partnership, Duolingo announced its first official online merchandise store in Southeast Asia, launching on Tokopedia on 11 November 2025.

Irene Tong, SEA marketing lead at Duolingo, explained that introducing the company’s characters and intellectual property (IP) to a wider audience has always been a key part of Duolingo’s identity.

“Beyond offering universal access to education through fun and gamified experiences - we want to connect strongly with our users through memorable, relatable characters like Duo, Lily, Zari and others. Our partnership with Tokopedia, Indonesia’s leading eCommerce platform, to open our first online merchandise store in Southeast Asia is a significant step in bringing these beloved characters even closer to our local audience,” said Tong.

It shows our deep commitment to being present in Indonesia, one of our most important markets worldwide.

Jonathan Theon Locanawan, head of marketing at Tokopedia, noted that the collaboration with Duolingo reflects the company’s ongoing commitment to staying relevant while remaining true to its mission of empowering communities across Indonesia.

“Through this activation, we hope that millions of local sellers on our platform and the wider public can see how Tokopedia continues to be the right destination to #ShopSafe and fulfill all their shopping and daily needs,” Locanawan said.

“Beyond delivering relatable content that resonates with audiences, this partnership also reflects our belief that collaboration and innovation can create meaningful impact, setting a positive example for the broader digital industry,” he added.

With over 250 language courses ranging from Spanish and French to Navajo and Yiddish, Duolingo is the world’s leading mobile learning platform, offering gamified lessons in languages, music, math, and chess. Meanwhile, under TikTok’s ownership, Tokopedia connects millions of buyers and sellers through its marketplace, providing digital, financial, and logistics services.

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