They clicked, your honor.
AUTHOR: yana de villa
Mely is Duolingo’s newest Chief Pronunciation Officer!
We’ve been keeping a secret for months now and what a way to reveal it during this May!
This AAPI Heritage Month, we’re celebrating creators who continue to make an impact by showing up authentically online.
Speaking of wins, we want to talk about Mely’s long-term partnership with Duolingo!
What started as a successful collaboration quickly turned into something much bigger. In our previous posts, we always emphasized the importance of building and maintaining relationships with both brands and team members.
After Mely’s Genshin x Duolingo campaign performed incredibly well, the brand saw the potential for a longer-term relationship. This proves that brands are moving beyond one-off posts and investing in creators they genuinely believe in. Which by the way, is a recurring trend we’ve been seeing. 👀
Why Duolingo Chose Mely
If you know Mely’s content, you’ll understand why this partnership was just meant to be! His content style naturally aligns with Duolingo’s online presence: funny, witty, chaotic in the best way possible, and deeply internet-aware. (Yes, even responding in brainrot terms)
But beyond the humor he puts out, Mely consistently delivers what brands are looking for. He has strong engagement, relatable storytelling, and content that audiences actually enjoy watching.
The partnership itself was so highly collaborative, the brand trusted Mely enough to give him the full creative direction so he can smoothly integrate himself into the content while still hitting the pointers they asked for!
That balance is exactly what made this partnership feel authentic rather than overly branded.
More Than Just Deliverables
Not only does Mely get to work with his dream brand, this also comes with some exciting perks!
From the free Super Duolingo for a year to exclusive merch, custom items, and even a trip to their NYC office, this collaboration became more than just content creation; it became a full experience.
But one of the most interesting things to come out of his meeting with the brand was their focus on building long-term creator relationships. They even thought of creating an “Avengers Team” of trusted creators they could consistently work with over time!
This kind of approach says a lot about where influencer marketing is headed.
The Shift Toward Long-Term Partnerships
When creators already understand the brand, they genuinely enjoy the product, and know how to connect with their audience, the content naturally performs better. Audiences can tell when a partnership feels authentic, and brands are starting to recognize the value in building relationships that last beyond a single post.
At the end of the day, this partnership is proof that authenticity, consistency, and confidently showing up as yourself can open doors to opportunities much bigger than you originally imagined.
So if you’re thinking about posting that video from the drafts? Do it! You’ll never know what happens next!
Campaign Credits
Talent: Mely Carmelo
Brand: Duolingo
Partnership Lead: Yannah Lucero
Campaign Manager: Faye Vita
