April Fools' Day—the best pranks from brands
A roundup of this year’s pranks.
JaneWalter
We meet again, April 1st, you jokester. Every year, you deliver varying amounts of chaos and genius from brands to the now-expectant masses. Will this year’s crop impress or lead to another U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigation? Keep reading to see how brands are cele-pranking and decide for yourself.
Lose your French streak, fear no more. Call attorneys from Menchetti and Sons at 781-STOP-OWL if you or a loved one were victimized by a large green owl named Duo. Language learning app Duolingo's campaign feeds into the meme that its mascot is kidnapping those who neglect their daily lessons. The brand shared the law firm’s commercial and hotline across all its platforms, including its viral TikTok page, claiming it is all lies and to absolutely not contact them under any circumstances, or else.
Tushy hopes to go where no bidet company has ever gone before with this stunt. Parodying hit shows like "Too Hot to Handle" and "Sexy Beasts," the brand is casting sexy singles for its own dating show, "It Takes #2." The trailer includes sounds that people usually hope would never escape the privacy of their bathrooms, let alone a first date. But if couples could make it through that, they can make it through anything.
Traeger is gassing up its wood-burning grills with filling that will take cooking into another dimension: cannabis-infused pellets. The premise? Load a grill up with these pellets, kick back nearby and let the smoke do its work. As the campaign warns, this grilling method may cause “severe munchies, uncontrollable giggling, spacing out and increased interest in cartoons and/or Bigfoot documentaries.”
Native and Baked by Melissa
Usually, combining two good things creates one extra good thing. That is, unless those two things are deodorant and salad. Natural personal care brand Native teamed with tiny cupcake maker Baked By Melissa, not to produce sweet-scented products, but owner Melissa Ben-Ishay’s viral Green Goddess Salad. Because who wouldn’t want to coat their pits with deodorant and body lotion scented with cabbage, cucumber and basil?
In a similar scent-no-one-asked-for approach, lip balm brand ChapStick has plans to tease a Broccoli ChapStick flavor on social media.
Did you ever think it would be possible to paint a picture with millions of other people at once? Social network Reddit is bringing back r/Place, an April Fools’ project from 2017 which allowed users to paint a digital tapestry, one pixel at a time. The collaboration among the users really brings out the inner-Picassos from people of all subreddits.
Finally, your dog can be *that bitch* with this unfortunately-fake beauty prank. Beauty subscription box Ipsy teamed with Glamnetic, maker of magnetic eyelashes, to dream up a set of falsies to make your pooch’s eyes pop. These magnetic pet lashes would give any glam girl a run for her money and the adorably fierce (and notably photoshopped) campaign images are ready for the runway of Rupaw’s Drag Race.
Dr. Squatch is known for its reasonably-scented men’s care products as well as partnerships that make sense for the brand, like soaps themed for “The Batman” and “Star Wars.” Well throw those values out the window and behold Dr. Squatch’s beef jerky soap. The campaign’s attempt at enticing customers reads, “a smoky sirloin scent plus exfoliants from natural spices for a clean that will make you feel like a meaty, dry-rubbed masterpiece.” Read that last part one more time and be glad that this product won’t be making its way onto shelves (and subsequently skin that you have to share breathing room with).
Knife or spoon? Crust or no crust? Wifi or no wifi? Skippy peanut butter and Welch’s jelly would have settled the age-old debates of how you make your PB&J sandwich with their latest faux-product. The wifi-enabled multi-tool included a crimping wheel to remove crusts, a flashlight for late night snacking, a stamp to engrave your sandwiches and a speaker to get your PB&J jam on. We knew it was too good to be true.
Welch’s continues to be a trickster with a play on its gummy Fruit Snacks. The brand's new Vegetable Snacks are based on Brussels sprouts. “A bountiful burst of bitter, leafy taste” in each bite makes you think you’re eating the actual crunchy veggie. This joke might just get kids eating their vegetables, or fearing all candy forever. A win-win for most parents.
You may think you’re tripping when you see cannabis-seller Mood Ring’s campaign. Scientists and stoners came together to create Hippy Fingerz, a nail polish that can tell you just how high you are. The “science” behind the product is that detectors, similar to those in a mood ring, change colors based on the level of THC in your system. Behold the purple haze, blue dream and green grass colors right at your fingertips.
During those times of the month, sometimes all one wants is a big bar of chocolate. Well, why not save time and combine feminine products with sweets? U by Kotex “launched” a new ultra-thin pad made out of dark chocolate with a bloody red, raspberry ganache filling. The brand's marketers hope this sounds just as ridiculous to you as it does to them, as they shed light on stigmas that people have against periods.
The maker of chickpea-based pasta and rice, Banza, announced the release of “Just the Sauce.” The cheddar cheese-flavored sauce, usually on some mac and cheese, can now be placed on anything. “Drizzle on salad, a granola bar, an apple or enjoy by the spoonful,” the choice is yours with these conveniently encased packets, in two flavors: Deluz Cheddar Mac and Plant-Based White Cheddar Mac. Banza lovers may be crushed when they find out it's a joke.
Who needs men when you have a great pair of Louboutins by your side? Seeking, the dating site, wants women to kick men to the curb. Have an adventurous, casual and stylish fling with that sexy pair of stilettos you’ve been keeping in the closet. But once you’re ready to find love, go over to Seeking.com and fall head over heels.
Hellmann's and Butterfinger
Credit: Butterfinger and Hellmanns
Sweet and savory never sounded so terrifying with this unexpected collab. Hellmann’s Mayonnaise added a swirl of the crispety, crunchety, peanut-buttery Butterfinger candy right into its jars. The duo even released a real recipe for a Hellmann’s Butterfinger Crispety Crunchety Cake. If you’re daring enough, or just feel like serving up something new to your dinner guests, this may just be the combo you were looking for.
This campaign might just be what all plant moms have always wanted. PLANOLY, the social media content management platform, fake-launched PLANTOLY, a plant management system. Wilted plants would be no more with the system’s helpful reminders to water your plants. Track the growth of your succulents and ficus with PLANTalyze. Plant Parenthood would have blossomed with this joke.
Sorry cat-lovers but this dream job is only a dream. The job site CareerBuilder posted a joke listing for a Cat Herder. In this position, you would be responsible for ensuring a happy environment for your new furry friends. Your expertise in feline practices, such as snuggling in sunny spots and napping would have made you a shoe in for this role.
You might be grabbing your granola and hiking shoes as the spring and summer approach. Outdoor footwear brand Keen wanted to cut the hassle by partnering with the International Granola Lovers Association to announce the crunchiest clog on the market. “With gluten-free, organic oats, sun-dried fruit, and decadent raw honey,” your nature walks just became a bit stickier.
Nite Ize is known for creating hardware and gadgets for pets, such as NiteHowl, an LED safety necklace for dogs. Now, little pets can shine with Nite Ize’s mini mini LED safety necklace. You no longer have to worry about your mischievous hamster or wandering parrot getting lost in the dark. With built-in Hamster Vision, Flash in Flight and Reptile Rave modes, your small friends will be glowing.
