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LIVING WITH LILY
MEDIAPOST.COM
In Duolingo's YouTube Sitcom, Lily Endures Suburban Hell - by Sarah Mahoney
Duolingo has already elevated Duo, the bossy owl icon, to social-media sensation. With “Living With Lily” on YouTube Shorts and TikTok, it aims to make the emo teen mascot a star too -- just as soon as she does in her parents and makes out with Harry Styles. Kat Chan, head of global social and influencers at Duolingo, explains the strategy.
D2C Insider: “Living With Lily” represents a big commitment, with ten one-minute episodes. Why make a show about Lily rather than Duo, your star mascot?
Kat Chan: She is one of the characters we designed to help guide you through your lessons. She was the most popular character on social media. People relate to her. There’s a lot of online chatter, with memes like, “OMG, I’m such a Lily.” We wanted to expand her world. We want to have something like “Sesame Street” for adults; she had the most potential as a character.
D2C Insider: What are you hoping to accomplish?
Chan: We’ve never really done serialized and narrative content. So, we want to make sure it resonates with our audiences. We also used it to launch a Lily account on TikTok. From a metrics perspective, we didn't know what to expect because it's so different from everything we've done. But we're pretty happy with the response, with about 10.5 million views and 100,000 new followers.
D2C Insider: From a branding perspective, many people would say this is a bad idea. Duolingo stands for language learning, and there is nothing about that in these videos. (Maybe her dad’s confusion over her Mandarin face tattoo. He thinks it means family when it really says suffering.) Was there internal debate about that?
Chan: Yes, lots of discussion. But we have accepted that we want to entertain and not necessarily directly sell. So, the team and leadership are open to experimenting. And as you go through the episodes, Duolingo does appear. Lily goes through an existential crisis and discovers she's trapped in a simulation.
D2C Insider: You don’t worry that in using multiple mascots, you’re diluting interest? Why not just invest more in Duo, who is already a star?
Chan: We didn’t think of it as either/or. And we continue to commit to Duo. But 'What if Lily had a human family?’ felt ripe for humor. It felt brand new. But who knows, maybe we’ll do a sitcom for Duo.
D2C Insider: How do you describe Lily?
Chan: She’s a teenage girl who appears apathetic at first. But she cares about a lot of things, especially her friendships -- and Harry Styles. She’s an archetype and a bit like April Ludgate on “Parks and Recreation,” Wednesday Addams, and even Daria.
D2C Insider: Duo the Owl has an attitude, too, and is famous for his hardcore do-your-lesson-or-else notifications. How do these two mascots contrast?
Chan: We're still figuring out what Lily's relationship to Duo is because, as they appear in the app, they're separate. In one episode, she’s sending out notifications from her dungeon. We’re toying with the idea that maybe Lily is the puppet master behind it all because she's harder to please. Duo’s happy when you just do your lesson. Lily is more demanding.
D2C Insider: Why use mascots at all? You are a tech brand, and they are inherently old-school.
Chan: Duo has created a mascot moment because of TikTok. It’s funny. The only reason we used the mascot in the first place is that we didn't have access to design resources to create animated content for us. Working within the app creates constraints, and the mascot was an interesting solution. And then our timing, in terms of TikTok, was right. We were one of the first brands to hit there in our content strategy.
D2C Insider: You mean it was a budgetary decision?
Chan: Yes. Our design team is always working on the app. That’s the most important thing. So when that team is strapped for resources, we can't tap into them as regularly for marketing.
D2C Insider: You made this with Loop, the creative agency, and the videos are filled with cheesy ‘90s sitcom touches, from the laugh track to the theme music. What were the challenges?
Chan: Trying to balance how much each episode had to stand on its own versus whether or not we wanted this to be a cohesive series.
D2C Insider: What’s next? Season two?
Chan: More seasons and maybe a movie. I want to continue figuring out how we will develop this cast of characters, not just Duo and Lily but the rest. We have a goal to give Lily a moment next year that demonstrably grows her fame. We're starting to figure that out. It might be merch, more stories or an animated series. There’s some blue-sky thinking ahead.
D2C Insider: How many characters are there now?
Chan: Ten. There’s a grandmotherly one named Lucy, who is my favorite. She has a mysterious past, like from “Tomb Raider.” I’d love to explore her secret history.
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CRIME SCENE - THE TIMES SQUARE KILLER
WGRD.COM
GVSU grad, Michigan native Scott Watson stars in the new Netflix true crime show CRIME SCENE - THE TIMES SQUARE KILLER
Since its release last week, "Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer" on Netflix has been getting a lot of buzz.
Did you know that the docuseries focusing on the grisly murders in 1970s New York stars a Grand Valley State University graduate?
Yep, GVSU alum Scott Watson plays the "Torso Killer" himself, Richard Cottingham, who "preys on women to fulfill his grotesque fantasies while eluding police".
Watson was born and raised in Reed City, Mich., and as he says on his website, "like a stereotypical Michigander he’ll be happy to show you right on the hand where that is." He studied theater and and was classically trained in Shakespeare’s works at Grand Valley State University an now lives in NYC where he says he's "become the hardest working mustache in the business".
If Watson looks familiar, he's acted in quite a few shows on Investigation Discovery, commercials for Burlington and Ray-ban, and movies like "Love in Kilnerry" and "Eavsdropping".
The series from award-winning documentary filmmaker Joe Berlinger uses archival news footage, reenactments, and interviews to examine, according to Netflix,
"How the danger and depravity of New York’s Times Square in the late 1970s and early 1980s made it possible for one man to commit — and nearly get away with — unthinkable acts in a nearly-lawless area rife with drugs and sex work. These three episodes will delve into the social and systemic forces that allowed horrific crimes to go unnoticed for too long."
Oooh, I love true crime, so I'll have to check it out for sure! And for anyone who's like, "Isn't that pretty dark? Kinda weird you're into that..."
Meh. I don't think it's weird. This sketch from SNL about many people's (an my!) obsession with shows like this makes me feel seen... In fact, season one of the series, "Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel" actually makes an appearance in the clip!
GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN
GV alumni leads successful acting career, makes Netflix debut - Mary Dupuis, News Editor
Grand Valley State University alumni, Scott Watson ‘09, recently made his Netflix debut in the popular real crime docuseries, “Crime Scene.”
Created by award-winning documentary filmmaker, Joe Berlinger, Watson appears in the most recent installment of the series in a three-part show, “Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer.”
Watson plays the role of a serial killer, Richard Cottingham, whose crimes were carried out in the 1970s in New York City.
The show contains interviews and news footage from the time the crimes were committed, as well as reenactments by Watson.
Watson filmed for about a month in the New York and New Jersey areas for the role.
He said he has played darker roles before, so when it came time to step into Cottingham’s shoes, he was ready for it.
“There’s no need to go super deep into the dark horribleness of it because basically everybody walks through life as their own protagonist,” Watson said. “So even somebody who is doing bad things probably doesn’t think of themselves as a bad person, if that makes sense. So, a lot of times if you’re playing someone who is an antagonist you kind of have to figure out how they’re justifying what they’re doing to themselves.”
While this is Watson’s first appearance on Netflix, he is no stranger to the spotlight.
Throughout his career Watson has appeared in plays and numerous commercials, his most memorable being when he was the face of a campaign for Ray-Ban.
He said the commercial took one day to shoot on the beach and that it had a “music video vibe.”
What Watson didn’t know at the time was that this campaign would make its way overseas.
“I had some friends in Europe and they were like, ‘Did you know you’re on a giant billboard in Milan?’” Watson said. “They had literally made this print campaign where it was me in a red Speedo and I was everywhere in Europe like giant building-tall billboards, subways, everything. That was pretty cool.”
Following Watson’s graduation from GVSU in 2009 he moved to New York to kickstart his career.
“I paid my first month’s rent and I had $35 when I moved,” Watson said. “I don’t recommend it, but it worked.”
However, he said it was the skills he learned at GVSU that gave him the confidence to take that leap.
Watson was in 17 productions throughout his college career, the most memorable he said was his role as Bottom in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
“We did directing classes where we were student directed, too, so there was just a lot of opportunities to be in shows,” Watson said. “Every show was a learning opportunity. That’s the cool part about college theatre, is it’s a place to experiment and try big things and if they don’t work out, well, that’s why you’re there.”
Watson said it was the Shakespeare Festival that drew him to GVSU.
“When I went to GVSU’s campus it was so pretty,” Watson said. “I saw the Shakespeare festival and that really drew me in because I’d always been interested in Shakespeare but it was never really something that I thought about chasing after.”
Due to his commitment to, and love of, the festival in 2018 GVSU reached out to Watson to write a play for its 25th anniversary.
“I was really surprised and honored that they would think of me to do it,” Watson said.
The play Watson wrote was titled, “Defy the Stars” and was inspired by a documentary he had recently watched about a concentration camp that had amenities and arts.
“What interested me the most about that was that a lot of times the artists were spared from getting sent on because they wanted to have this cultural life at the camp,” Watson said. “So if you were in the orchestra for example a lot of times you stayed, you survived so it was like the arts literally saved peoples’ lives so that was kind of the genesis for the play.”
At the festival Watson and other alumni did a stage reading of the play. He has continued to work on it since.
Associate professor of theatre, James Bell, said Watson also spoke to students in a conference held at the festival.
Bell said he is proud of Watson’s continued success in his career and enjoyed having him as a student.
“I think he’s been able to do in his career what he did at Grand Valley and that’s just take advantage of an array of different opportunities and diligently pursue the things that he wants to do,” Bell said. “Not just take a program for what it is but pursue his own interests and turn it into what he wants to be able to do and I think that’s something all students can do.”
Watson said he encourages students looking to pursue professional acting careers to consider that they may have to relocate for opportunities and to do so as soon as they’re able.
Bell also encourages a willingness to jump on opportunities when they arise.
“I think where Scott was able to be successful is that he developed a good plan and he went after it and had abilities in multiple areas and he was tenacious,” Bell said. “He went to an area out in New York where he could try doing those things and he’s been diligent in doing so, willing to do anything that came along and that’s paid off for him.”
Watson said he hopes that students spend their time at college learning and enjoying their experiences, not just living for school. He said this mindset is important in the real world as well.
“Don’t just live audition to audition but build a life you enjoy that can help you to be an actor,” Watson said. “Actors that just audition and think about acting tend to be pretty boring people.”
MIDEA - MR GRUMP HOLIDAY CAMPAIGN
AD AGE
MR GRUMP HATES THE HOLIDAYS - Latest work for Midea by Pereira O'Dell
Pereira O’Dell, creative agency of record for Midea, is thrilled to share its latest work: A Merry Midea Holiday. As the holiday season approaches, Midea is deviating from the conventional joyous gatherings to acknowledge the stress and chaos that often accompany the festivities.
In a world saturated with holiday campaigns emphasizing perfect gatherings, Midea’s approach is rooted in one important cultural insight: during COVID, 70% of people secretly found relief in not hosting holiday events due to stress.
"A Merry Midea Holiday" addresses the authentic sentiments of stress and disaster associated with the season – however, Midea's uniquely designed kitchen appliances promise to turn even the most pessimistic holiday gathering-goers into festive enthusiasts.
Inspired by “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” the campaign revolves around a holiday “grump” navigating the chaos of a family gathering. However, a touch of Midea magic in the kitchen transforms his perspective, showcasing how Midea appliances can make holidays smoother and more enjoyable – melting his ice cold heart.
“Even the grumpiest holiday guest can’t deny the magic in Midea’s new Christmas commercial. The truth is the holidays can be stressful. In reality, we all get overwhelmed with the idea of large seasonal get-togethers. But thanks to Midea’s magical kitchen appliances, even the holiday skeptic gets into the Christmas spirit,” says Executive Creative Director, Juliana Constantino.
REVIEWS
TAMING OF THE SHREW
New York Classical Theatre
"THE TAMING OF THE SHREW requires a lot of physical comedy and Scott Watson—who played a long suffering servant named Grumio—stole the show with his hilariously exaggerated facial expressions, fidgeting, falling down, and flailing about."
Meagan Meehan - AXS.com
THE ODD COUPLE
Mill Mountain Theatre
"The supporting cast of guys was certainly committed to wringing out as much comedy as they could; including a rather nerdy Scott Watson as Roy."
Amanda Nelson - The Roanoke Times
TWO GENTLMEN OF VERONA
Shakespeare on the Sound
WINNER FOR BEST PLAY ENSEMBLE - CONNECTICUT BROADWAY WORLD AWARDS
"Scott Watson as Thurio is truly exceptional."
Sherry Shameer Cohen - BroadwayWorld.com
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
Grand Valley Shakespeare Festival
"Scott Watson's potrayal of Nick Bottom truly was oustanding. Most comic actors would understand the gift of being cast in this role, and Scott made the most of the opportunity."
Stan Jensen - ACTF