Duolingo - Duo’s Sumo Showdown｜



When it comes to mascots, Japan is the gold standard. Everything from insurance companies to supermarkets and prefectures has its own (ultra-cute) mascot. So for Duo, getting a bit of undivided attention from learners means fighting off a lot of furry, wide-eyed, distractions.

And when we say fight, we mean it literally. Piggybacking on the country’s love of sumo (and considering mascots’ unique body type), Duo organized the world’s first mascot sumo tournament: Duo’s Sumo Showdown.

The campaign kicked off with a month-long lore-building social campaign, climaxing in a full-blown, IRL tournament in Shinjuku featuring some of Japan’s top mascots, including Sonic, Pac-Man, Donpe the penguin, and many more.

Unfortunately, Duo lost in the end. But would you call earning 90+ million organic impressions, making it to Yahoo! News, and becoming a trending topic on Twitter losing? I don’t think so.
Role: Creative Director

Accolades:
Spikes Asia,  2026 — Bronze, Brand Experience & Activation

Agency: UltraSuperNew, Tokyo
Case study film
Board
Press conference
The event
Fan art