Duolingo on a sign-cleaning spree for #SwachhBhashaAbhiyaan campaign

Around the world, there are signboards that can elicit laughter due to language or grammar errors. In India, there is a wide variety of such boards that have incorrect spellings or grammar. To combat this issue of incorrect signage, Duolingo has launched #SwachhBhashaAbhiyaan - The Clean Language Campaign in India. Through a clever play on words, this campaign aims to draw attention and generate awareness regarding the need to clean up mis-spelled and incorrect signage in various urban areas.

Humour Me is the creative agency behind Duolingo's #SwachhBhashaAbhiyaan campaign. The campaign will utilize Duolingo's iconic mascot, Duo, to clean up incorrect signage in key metropolitan areas across India in English, Hindi, and French. This social media first campaign is split into two parts. The first segment features Duo painting the town red by correcting roadside signage in fun ways, using red markers and spray paint to highlight errors. The second segment involves replacing linguistically incorrect signage with properly spelled boards to promote the use of correct language on signboards. The campaign aims to increase awareness about the importance of using accurate language, particularly on signboards.

Speaking about Duolingo’s quirky campaign, Karandeep Singh Kapany, Country Marketing Manager, Duolingo said, "Although India is the second largest English-speaking country in the world, only 10% of its total population speaks the language fluently. We recognized this issue and launched the #SwachhBhashaAbhiyaan campaign to combat the spread of linguistic errors on signage. To this end, Duo, our mascot, hit the streets of Delhi, personally highlighting mistakes and replacing incorrect boards with properly spelled ones. At Duolingo, we have always celebrated our learners' mistakes as valuable opportunities for growth, and we believe that making language learning enjoyable and fun is the most effective approach.”