Purpose

Struggle with pronouncing names? Had yours mispronounced? Names carry our identity and culture, yet mispronunciations are common, especially in diverse universities. The Duolingo Name Matters campaign aimed to make name-sharing fun and inclusive using AR, helping Gen Z break social barriers and celebrate cultural diversity through interactive, engaging experiences.

Duolingo Name Card #Name Matters. Campaign

Responsibility

  • Creative Ideation

  • Visual Design

  • AR Experience Design

  • Product Thinking

  • Motion Design

Credits

  • The One Club Program for Duolingo

  • Edelman Mentors

    Jesse Suchmann, Executive Creative Director

    Megan Skelly, Executive Creative Director

  • Design and Creative Team

    Zixuan Zhang, Kefan Shi, Neige Guo, Gabriela Bastidas

Timeline

  • 8 weeks

  • Spring 2024

Summary

Duolingo wants a fun campaign to engage Gen Z and millennials, inspiring learning through young groups. Creating shareable content or experiences, using Duolingo’s playful tone and Duo the Owl.

We created the Duolingo Name Matters campaign to make name-sharing fun and inclusive. Using AR, it helped Gen Z overcome social barriers and celebrate cultural diversity through interactive experiences, tackling the common issue of name mispronunciations in diverse university settings.

Through The One Club program with Edelman, we presented our design to other studio team pitch, and finally had a pitch with James Kuczynski, Global Sr. Creative Director, Brand & Marketing at Duolingo.

What makes this topic worth exploring?

Phenomenon and Problem

The phenomenon of mispronouncing names happens all the time in the life. According to Race Equality Matters, about 73% of people have experienced having their names mispronounced.

As one of the people of the Z Generation, international students of different races have always been a group we care about. We can find an amazing number from the data of international students by NCEC and OpenDoors Data. Since 2022, there have been close to 1M international students studying and reading in the U.S. from different countries and cultures every year. Therefore, our team continued to do interviews (10 people who are from China, Japan and Chile who currently live in western countries.) In the interviews, we amazingly felt the phenomenon of negative emotions brought by mispronouncing names.

  • “My name has never been pronounced correctly."

  • “It's a pain to keep telling them how to pronounce my name, so I just accept it.”

  • “I felt pressured to introduce my real name, so I adopted a more ‘Americanized‘ name."

  • “The professor looked at me and said:’ I know that face, I just cannot pronounce your name’."

Research Summary

We found that name mispronunciation causes exclusion and pressure, impacting cultural identity, especially for Gen Z international students.

So… What’s the point here? And what campaign can we bring with Duo?

Competition Research: Learning from Existing Campaigns

After identifying the problem, we researched similar campaigns that highlight the significance of names:

  • Starbucks #WhatsYourName – Launched in the UK, this campaign celebrates gender diversity, particularly transgender stories. While focused on gender identity, it reinforces the power of names in personal identity and multicultural respect.

  • Race Equality Matters #MyNameIs – A movement dedicated to sharing name stories and correct pronunciations, especially for non-English names. It emphasizes cultural significance and identity.

While #MyNameIs aligns closely with our goals, we aim for a younger, more playful approach, reducing pressure and negative emotions. Our campaign aims to be fun and optimistic, and Duo’s personality makes name-sharing an engaging experience for Gen Z.

Pain Point #1

Lack of Accessible Information

Many names from different cultures have unique pronunciations, but there are limited easy-to-use tools to help people learn them. This leads to frustration and social avoidance, especially in diverse environments like universities.

Pain Point #2

Lack of Engaging and Fun Learning Methods

Traditional pronunciation tools are often dry and unengaging. Gen Z prefers interactive, playful experiences that encourage participation. Without an engaging format, people may not feel motivated to learn and use correct name pronunciations.

Pain Point #3

More Personalization & Identity Expression

Names hold cultural meaning, but digital spaces often ignore their deeper significance. Platforms like Duolingo, known for their mascot-driven, gamified experience, can bridge this gap by offering custom avatars, visual storytelling, and interactive learning tools.

Question

  • How do people share their names and their stories?

  • How do we make it easy to pronounce names correctly?

  • How can we make sharing names to be fun and cool?

Ideation

OK! Now that we have questions and the information, let's imagine that…

If we create an external product that connects with Duolingo, helps fix mispronunciations in a fun and interactive way, and works seamlessly on social media and mobile devices, we can make learning or sharing names engaging while ensuring our campaign reaches a wider audience.

Timing: Name Share During Orientation Days

In this campaign, we aimed to infuse fun into learning, inspired by Duolingo's playful brand culture. Our goal was to make the introduction of the name less awkward and more engaging, aligning with the humor and lightheartedness seen in social media content about mispronouncing names, which people find entertaining. Meanwhile, let people feel that it is an important issue that needs to be solved.

Names are indeed personal and serious, but they can also be a source of fun. Introducing names in a playful manner can lighten the mood, especially in awkward first meetings. For our target group Gen Z and Millennials, we envisioned this happening during Orientation Days —a time filled with both excitement and nervousness. By making introductions interesting and enjoyable, we aim to create a memorable and comfortable atmosphere for everyone.

Now, let’s share our product to the campaign!

Duolingo Name Card #Name Matters

Our Solution: Making Name Sharing Fun, Interactive & Easy

To solve issues, we designed an interactive digital experience that integrates social media, AR, and storytelling to promote correct name pronunciation in a fun, shareable way.

Step 1: Creating a Personalized Name Card

  • Users enter their name, select their cultural background, and provide a short story behind it.

  • The system generates a custom "e-ID" card featuring their name, pronunciation, and your story of your name, which can be downloaded and shared.

  • The story section will be a bridge to share your culture, meanwhile, bring ing a deep connection with your identity.

Step 2: Speak & Hear the Name Correctly

  • Our product encourages users to record themselves saying their name, ensuring accurate pronunciation and emotion.

  • The video recordings are integrated into an interactive name-sharing feature, allowing others to hear and learn how to say it properly.

Step 3: Making Names Shareable & Fun with AR & Gamification

  • Users can use AR filters to create fun, visually appealing content on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter.

  • Animated stickers and color-coded name breakdowns highlight tone, syllables, and cultural elements, making learning more intuitive.

Final Step : Sharing with your friends and tag us on the social media!

  • Download your Duo e-ID Card in your welt, spreading the cards in your campus now!

  • A social #NameMatters Challenge encourages people to share their name stories, spreading awareness while boosting engagement.

Well, I am glad to share our Duo energy project with you! And back to the Pain Points that we have done!

  1. Lack of Accessible Information - Provides name pronunciation, meanings, and stories in a shareable format.

  2. Lack of Engaging and Fun Learning Methods – Uses AR filters, gamification, and social media challenges for interaction.

  3. More Personalization & Identity Expression – Custom e-ID cards and avatars showcase cultural identity and uniqueness.

Result

We got a Pitch to Duolingo!

The Duolingo Name Matters project was completed in Spring 2024, thanks to the support of The One Club and Edelman team, our mentor, Jesse and Megan . After The One Club team group pitch, our group had the incredible final opportunity to pitch our strategic campaign to James Kuczynski, Global Sr. Creative Director, Brand & Marketing at Duolingo. Though our pitch wasn’t ultimately selected, the experience was invaluable.

Yes! And we learned a lot!

Through feedback and discussions with James, we gained more profound insights into the connection between brand strategy and creativity. This process highlighted both our strengths and areas for growth, shaping how I think about brand storytelling moving forward.

AR Filter Design

AR Filter Design

We focused on Gen Z's preferences and behavior, recognizing their love for stickers as a fun and expressive tool. Stickers allow young people to showcase their emotions, interests, and individuality, making them a key element in self-expression on social platforms and in daily life.

With Duo’s playful and quirky personality, I designed a series of expressive stickers with Spark AR that bring out its unique charm and fully fun interaction. These stickers not only add personality to the platform but also create a vibrant space where Gen Z can express themselves freely while enjoying Duo’s infectious charm. Through this, we hope to make name-sharing a fun, memorable, and personal experience.