Everyone has been tricked by an April Fools’ Day prank, whether they admit to it or not. But there are always more LAME jokes than funny ones. Especially when it comes to businesses and brands.
There are lists online of the BEST and WORST April Fools’ Day pranks by companies in recent years. Here are 20: 15 that are actually pretty good, and five that are weak:
1. In 2015, Amazon.com reverted its homepage to the look and feel of the page on April 1st, 1999. It was a MAJOR difference.
2. In 2015, Redbox announced the debut of “Petbox,” with entertainment for pets.
3. In 2015, when you clicked a Google Maps link, you started playing the arcade game Pac-Man on real city streets.
4. In 2015, Samsung introduced the world’s first smart KNIFE: The Galaxy Blade Edge. It was a knife with smartphone capabilities, that was hyped as the “ultimate cooking companion.”
5. In 2017, Hulu poked fun at our ever-shortening attention spans by launching a new service called Hu, that only shows eight-second versions of shows.
6. In 2017, Burger King launched Whopper-flavored toothpaste, taking “the iconic flavor of the Whopper and combining it with active ingredients for optimal teeth and gum hygiene.”
7. In 2017, the high-end audio company Master & Dynamic announced the launch of their new MH40C1 Concrete Over-Ear Headphones, made of solid concrete, and retailing for $399.
8. In 2017, Coke announced a new variety with a small shot of HELIUM that creates a “squeaky high-pitched effect on the drinker’s voice.”
9. In 2017, Duolingo launched a new course to help people become fluent in the complicated language of Emoji.
10. In 2017, Bush’s Beans launched its newest bean variety: Jelly Beans.
11. In 2017, the Milwaukee County Transit System offered customers a new, “non-stop daily bus service from Milwaukee to Japan.”
12. In 2017, Petco announced the arrival of the DooDoo Drone 9000, a battery-powered drone that can scoop up after your dog. This COULD be real someday.
13. In 2017, there was Coffee-Flavored Coffee-Mate. Quote, “The perfect way to transform your everyday cup with a creamy, roast coffee taste.”
14. In 2017, FreshDirect hyped Pitless Avocados. (But someday these won’t HAVE to be a joke. “Cocktail avocados” may become a thing.)
15. In 2019, Tinder added HEIGHT VERIFICATION to their app.
(You can find more DECENT April Fools’ pranks at Parade.com.)
These next five missed the mark:
In 1996, Taco Bell announced its purchase of the historic Liberty Bell, and their plans to rename it the “Taco Liberty Bell” as a move to help reduce the national debt. But people took it seriously, and protested the “commercialization of a national treasure.”
In 2001, a Hooters restaurant in Florida hold a “win a Toyota” contest for one hard-working waitress. The winner was blindfolded and led to the parking lot to claim her prize, but it was a “TOY YODA” from “Star Wars”. The winner sued them, and eventually received a settlement that allowed her to buy a car.
In 2016, Google introduced a “mic drop” feature in Gmail, which sent emails with an animated GIF of a Minion dropping a microphone. But the feature also messed up email threads, preventing further replies, and generating backlash.
In 2018, Elon Musk announced that Tesla had gone “completely and totally bankrupt,” causing a dip in the company’s stock price.
In 2021, Volkswagen issued a press release claiming it would rebrand its U.S. operations to “VOLTSwagen,” highlighting its commitment to electric vehicles. It was believable so people reported on it as the truth, so it fell flat, AND it led to an SEC probe.
(PR News Online has more April Fools’ Day pranks that backfired.)
