Do you sometimes wonder where all those minutes you spend in the bathroom go?
You might be astonished by just how much time slips away during those moments in the toilet!
According to Green Gobbler, a cleaning provider company, the average person spends at least 12 minutes a day sitting on the toilet.
Woah…
This could equate to more than enough time to do things like scrolling through your phone, singing, or listening to music.
Do you think you could utilize these 12 minutes to learn something also?
The answer is a resounding YES.
In fact, in 2021, a popular learning app saw this hidden opportunity and decided to make its users learn a new language.
How?
Right where you least expect it: By printing its language-learning lessons on toilet paper!
A “Throne” of Knowledge
Photo from Duolingo
In 2021, Duolingo, a language-learning platform, discovered that there were hundreds of Duolingo learners on X (formerly Twitter) talking about how they wanted to get daily lessons while visiting the comfort room.
With the average person spending at least 12 minutes daily in the toilet, there’s ample opportunity to sneak in a few language lessons.
As a response to this interesting behavior, Duolingo, together with global creative company Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam, decided to create the Duolingo Roll, the world’s 1st toilet paper-based language-learning tool.
Photo from The Shorty Awards
The reason behind this campaign was that Duolingo wanted to generate brand awareness on a global scale without spending a significant amount of money on paid media.
Another reason?
The brand wanted to acquire new users and press hits in its key markets in the U.S., U.K., Mexico, Brazil, Japan, and China.
So, how did Duolingo’s team execute this campaign?
First, Duolingo and Wieden+Kennedy created 100% screen-free tissue rolls made with 3-ply softness (because why not? Language learning is already hard enough!).
These tissue rolls have various phrases printed on each sheet, featuring five languages:
- Spanish
- Japanese
- Chinese
- Portuguese
- English
The goal was that instead of doing nothing while in the bathroom, learners could read and learn new language phrases printed on toilet paper, all translated into English and vice versa.
The tissue rolls were then sent to influencers from the U.S., Brazil, England, Mexico, and Japan.
Photo from The Shorty Awards
Photo from The Shorty Awards
Besides this, Duolingo partnered with WeWork, a co-working space provider, to install the toilet paper in 18 of their restrooms in China.
Duolingo also gave away “Spanish for English Speakers” Duolingo Roll via X to 50 lucky winners in the U.S. and the U.K.
To have a chance to win the giveaway, participants filled out a Google Form with their contact information. Then, winners were chosen randomly using a randomizer.
At present, Duolingo is no longer promoting its Duolingo rolls, but it still has a website where you can buy your own specialized Duolingo tissue rolls.
Was Duolingo’s “Duolingo Rolls” campaign effective?
Duolingo’s campaign took everyone by storm and changed its users’ bathroom routine by making them conquer a language, one sheet at a time!
In fact:
- The Duolingo rolls garnered 14.2 million Facebook & X (formerly Twitter) impressions with 2% to 3.8% engagement rate per post.
- The campaign launch generated 250,000 site visits to Duolingo from 173 countries.
- There was a 3.5% spike in new users in key markets on the day of launch on April 1, 2021.
- An 18% increase in new users in the U.S. also happened during the first two weeks of the campaign.
- The campaign bagged several awards in the Global Campaign category at the 14th Annual Shorty Awards in 2022.
- Duolingo was also an honoree under the Advertising, Media & PR Integrated category at the 2022 Webby Awards.
Congratulations, Duolingo and Wieden+Kennedy!
These results show that despite the simplicity, the Duolingo rolls were still received positively by your target audience.
*Applause*
—
So, what can you (as a marketer, business owner, leader, manager, or copywriter) learn from Duolingo’s campaign?
-
Unexpected strategies result in amazing outcomes.
Duolingo identified an underutilized space (the bathroom) and turned it into a learning opportunity and a quirky marketing tactic.
Like what Duolingo did, you can also use the quirkiest or most underutilized thing you can find and turn it into an amazing campaign.
Who knows?
Maybe you’ll end up with something memorable too!
-
Social media amplification is key.
Duolingo leveraged its social media presence to promote the campaign, reaching a wider audience. This emphasizes the importance of social media nowadays for amplifying marketing efforts.
Just like Duolingo, you must utilize your social media platforms effectively so you can create buzz around your products and services.
Remember: The secret to social media success lies in knowing your audience. So, experiment and find the strategies that grab their attention!
After all, there are a myriad of strategies and social media tools you can use to showcase your brand and generate profit. You just have to find what works best in engaging your audience.
Are you ready now to learn the “language” of your target market?
About The Dynamic Marketing Communiqué’s
“Fridays: Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing”
Jay Conrad Levinson (1984) said that Guerrilla Marketing “works because it’s simple to appreciate, easy to execute, and inexpensive.”
Guerrilla Marketing is unconventional.
Looking beyond the traditional ways of advertising, marketers and advertisers need to spice things up in order for their brand to have campaigns that not only make an impact but also stick to their target market’s mind.
Guerrilla Marketing usually aims to have direct contact with consumers.
This type of direct contact should spark an emotional reaction that leads to consumers effectively remembering the brand.
It’s about making a big impression and making that impression last a long time (if not forever).
Guerrilla Marketing can be inexpensive.
The effect of this is being able to create a buzz around the brand, and the strategy used to market it. Almost everything is passed around through word-of-mouth.
Word-of-mouth is one of the greatest outcomes and it usually doesn’t cost anything.
This is every business’ or brand’s dream!
Every Friday, we publish tips, examples, and other useful content on unconventional ways of marketing and promotion.
Learn more about how to grab your target market’s attention and make an amazing first and lasting impression without having to spend a lot of money.
Businesses don’t really need to spend much for a guerrilla campaign. You do not need a big budget to be successful. You just need creativity and a good imagination.
Hope you find this week’s guerrilla marketing insight interesting and helpful.
Stay tuned for next Friday’s “Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing!”
Cheers,
Dyane Diasanta
Senior Content Writer
Valens Dynamic Marketing Capabilities
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