Loewe, Givenchy, Jacquemus, Moschino…. Some of the names of the most prominent global fashion brands can be difficult to pronounce correctly, something that Duolingo seeks to contribute to in its new campaign. Taking advantage of the celebration of New York Fashion Week, which takes place from September 10 to 15, she has created a collection inspired by phonetics and language learning.

With the help of designer Megan O’Cain, a contestant on the second season of the reality show “Next in fashion”, on Netflix, she has created *The Phonetic Collection*, a series of garments that address pronunciation errors in the world of fashion in a fun way. The pieces present an aesthetic that references the school environment, such as pleated skirts, shirts or ties; and that also reflects Duolingo’s visual identity, with the already popular green owl mascot starring in clothing and accessories.

In addition, the pieces show the phonetic transcription of each brand, in such a way that the bag refers to Hermés as “air-mess”; while a sweater includes the syllables “zhee-vahn-shee”, which allude to Givenchy. All of this is captured in a fun video that turns a classroom into a catwalk and plays with some of the application’s most recognizable assets, such as the sounds it makes when an answer is right or wrong.

“‘The phonetic collection’ is a playful lesson in how to interact with fashion. Guide those who wear it to decipher their references, learn their language and be ready to talk about fashion during this Fashion Week”; the brand explained on social networks. “Transform recognizable fashion silhouettes and iconic design houses by incorporating phonetic transcription of designer names, exaggerated proportions, and Duolingo’s signature sense of humor”.

The campaign takes advantage of the notoriety of the international event to connect with the audience through passion for fashion and gain notoriety and relevance by indirectly associating with haute couture brands. The brand’s strategy behind the action is that whoever is impacted by the campaign learns the pronunciations and is encouraged to download the application to continue learning.

The campaign is supported by research carried out by Duolingo together with the research firm YouGov, according to adweek. The analysis indicates that 62% of Americans believe they can pronounce the Hermès brand, although only 15% actually know the correct pronunciation. Furthermore, it indicates that Generation Z is more than three times more likely than millennials, Generation X or baby boomers to correctly pronounce the name of a fashion brand; However, less than 3 in 10 achieve it, according to the survey.

The brand has sent some of the garments from the collection to influencers and content creators linked to the fashion and lifestyle territories. In some cases, it has even made a personalized delivery, so that two people with Duolingo masks have come in person to deliver the clothing and accessories.

In addition, it will make the garments available to the public through a pop-up experience at the Null Objetc store in New York on September 9 and 10, where consumers will be able to bid on the garments using their Duolingo usage streak.
In addition, the platform will also publicize the initiative through an outdoor advertising campaign in the city.

*The Phonetic Collection* is not Duolingo’s first foray into the fashion industry. At the end of last year, the platform allied itself in our country with Desigual using the meme that relates the style of English teachers to the Spanish brand. It was the first Duolingo campaign in Spain, it was worked together with the La Despensa agency and it starred Samantha Hudson.