Duolingo hands out “Free Apple Duo” apples outside Apple stores
Duolingo set up a fruit stand outside Apple retail locations, offering apples with QR codes that link to its language-learning app as the new iPhone lineup launched.
Apple customers queued at stores worldwide on 23 October for the latest iPhone models. A short distance from the lines, Duolingo placed a cart with green apples bearing the company’s owl mascot and QR codes that direct users to the app.
"I heard they're selling me today?" – Duolingo’s Instagram caption accompanying the photos.
Each apple featured a sticker that read “Do your lesson” alongside the QR code. The brand also posted images of its mascot on a screen that displayed the newly released iPhone Duo, with the tagline “This is Duo”.
The stunt follows a previous Duolingo campaign that used the same tagline to comment on Apple’s foldable phone announcement. Other companies, including Samsung and AirAsia MOVE, also posted social-media content referencing Apple’s launch.
Media-monitoring firm CARMA reported that the iPhone 18 series generated over 464,000 mentions and 21.5 million engagements globally in the weeks after its unveiling, with the iPhone Duo accounting for roughly half of the conversation. Positive sentiment focused on the device’s foldable design and performance, while price criticism was the main negative theme.