The One Show
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Category
Brand-Side Initiated & Originated Projects
Annual ID
OS23_BS008S
About the Work
As the world’s #1 language learning app, Duolingo knows entertainment content drives interest in language learning and vice versa. So when HBO Max announced a new prequel to the Game of Thrones series named House of the Dragon, Duolingo saw an opportunity to join the conversation and drive brand awareness. How? By speaking the show’s language.
For the new Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon, Duolingo partnered with HBO Max to create High Valyrian lessons that teach fans the fictional language from the show. We developed the lessons with the inventor of the language, David Peterson, and featured real phrases from episodes. To launch the course, we bombarded Times Square and Comic-Con with cryptic billboards written all in High Valyrian, hosted a learning challenge with a life-size Valyrian Steel sword as the prize, and filmed viral content of Duo the Owl on the iron throne at HBO Max’s San Diego Comic-Con activation.
“High Valyrian Lessons” became the #1 most talked about campaign for Duolingo ever and helped drive fans to HBO Max’s most watched premiere in history. The unexpected partnership generated more than 150 press mentions and 700M earned media impressions around the world with a single TikTok video from the campaign receiving 10.8M views alone. One learner even decided to hold her entire wedding in High Valyrian. So far over 300,000 fans have started learning High Valyrian, but most importantly 43% of them will go on to learn another real language like Spanish or French next.
For the new Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon, Duolingo partnered with HBO Max to create High Valyrian lessons that teach fans the fictional language from the show. We developed the lessons with the inventor of the language, David Peterson, and featured real phrases from episodes. To launch the course, we bombarded Times Square and Comic-Con with cryptic billboards written all in High Valyrian, hosted a learning challenge with a life-size Valyrian Steel sword as the prize, and filmed viral content of Duo the Owl on the iron throne at HBO Max’s San Diego Comic-Con activation.
“High Valyrian Lessons” became the #1 most talked about campaign for Duolingo ever and helped drive fans to HBO Max’s most watched premiere in history. The unexpected partnership generated more than 150 press mentions and 700M earned media impressions around the world with a single TikTok video from the campaign receiving 10.8M views alone. One learner even decided to hold her entire wedding in High Valyrian. So far over 300,000 fans have started learning High Valyrian, but most importantly 43% of them will go on to learn another real language like Spanish or French next.
2023 Awards
Total Points: 21
Silver Pencil
Credits
Internal / In-House Agency
Duolingo / Pittsburgh
Client / Brand
HBO Max / New York
Art Director
Kai Hovland
Copywriter
Kevin Daley
Chief Marketing Officer
Cammie Dunaway
Creative Director
James Kuczynski
Designer
Neo Zhang
Illustrator
Greg Hartman
Social Media Manager
Katherine Chan
Zaria Parvez
Brazil Marketing Director
Ana Martins
Country Marketing Manager
Colin Watkins
Karan Kapany
Director of Country Marketing
Sho Mizutani
Global Head of Communications
Sam Dalsimer
Lead Business Development Manager
Rachel Wasser
Marketing manager
Chuchu Zhang
Marketing Operations Director
Michelle Sharp
Marketing Program Manager
Jessica Fernando
Jenelle Huddleston
PR manager
Monica Earle
Regional Marketing Director
Haina Xiang
Rebeca Ricoy Paramo
Regional Marketing Manager
Kim De Anda
Senior Director of Business Development
George Audi
Staff Experience Designer
Charlie Barber
US Marketing Lead
Michaela Kron
VP of Marketing
Manu Orssaud
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