
A brief overview of what is currently trending on X in news, culture, and/or trending hashtags and formats.
Lamine Yamal: 16 year old Spanish phenom Lamine Yamal set the record as the youngest ever goalscorer in European Championships history yesterday as Spain advanced to the final. Fans have taken to X to share their reactions.
Andrew Garfield: The trailer for a24's WE LIVE IN TIME starring Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh released this morning with fans already bracing for the emotional rollercoaster.
#Dokkan9thAnniv: Fans of the mobile game DragonBallZ Dokkan Battle rejoice as today celebrates the apps 9th anniversary since release. The special event includes new events, challenges, and banners for players to unlock.

A deeper dive into a subject that is impacting culture on a macro level, beyond just the social space.
The Bird vs. The Bear
What it is: Ever present social media monsters Duolingo are back at it again with another project going viral. This time with a parody of FX’s hit show, ‘The Bear’, entitled ‘The Bird’. In the initial post we watch as the Duolingo bird is introduced as Carmy, the main character of the actual shows, replacement before going through several recognizable scenes from the series – all the while incorporating the Duolingo mission, to complete your daily language lessons. This post was created and released in alignment with the highly anticipated premiere of season 3 on Hulu and at the time of writing boasts over 6.5 million views and 250,000 likes across Instagram and Tik Tok. The brand has continued posting memes and videos surrounding the show after it’s initial success which has seen similar positive results; an additional 4.9 million views and 200,000 likes.
What brands can learn: Staying on top of culturally relevant moments is of the utmost importance for a brand, and Duolingo continue to prove its success, crushing its metrics. Whether it be a high lift all-intensive parody like this one, or a very simple video with a gnome (missed this Double Click? Read about it here) acknowledging that global trend, Duolingo will make sure that it gets a word in and that its word is heard. Other brands can look to the Duolingo profiles as a kind of guideline to not only staying in the conversation, but also finding an easy in to put your own brands twist on it. It’s also a point of note that not only the initial post performed well, but all the follow up posts as well. When you find something your viewers and consumers like it’s never a bad idea to give them a second helping. It's also important to be mindful that Duolingo has built a case for jumping in on whatever it wants when it wants, however that's what the audience expects, and not every brand has that authority. Building that trust and conversation with the audience is slow, but yields high rewards once achived. If your brand is not there yet, selectivity is the name of the game so it doesn't come off as random or out of touch if you try to capture a cultural moment that doesnt necessarily relate to your brand. Leaving some dots for your audience connect is fun but make sure you have connected at least some of them for them so that when they do understand why you are commenting, it's a satisfying experience.
Examples: 1, 2, 3

Four must-click links that crossed our feeds today.
For all fans of Lego, Harry Potter, or both, this is a must see.
A sporting legend has found himself being compared to a not so favorable superhero this week.
Shrek is love, Shrek is life, and Shrek 5 is coming July 2026.

Want to subscribe? Reach out to culturetaskforce@substack.com.

