Another year, another April 1st. I’m not that keen on April Fools Day, but that’s mainly because I’m a very gullible person, and also a bit of a spoilsport, so pranks often don’t go down too well with me.
However, April Fools Day presents an excellent opportunity for brands to express their creativity and connect with their audience in a light-hearted way. And although I don’t like being deceived, there were a few pranks pulled by some big-name brands this year that I did get some enjoyment out of.
Here are some of my favourites for 2023.
Lego – The (not so) Majestic Horse
Lego announced its “newest set”, The Majestic Horse. Looking at the image on the box, it seems like a great addition to the enormous Lego collection, but the pre-built model beside it leaves a lot to be desired.
This prank worked well because it doesn’t immediately stand out as one. Lego posted this image on its Instagram, and if you scrolled past quickly you wouldn’t immediately clock that anything is off. I also think that a lot of people can relate to this prank – I can’t say I’ve built many Lego sets in my lifetime, but I reckon if I tried, the results would look somewhat similar to this image (but maybe that’s just me and my poor building skills!).
Tinder shares something fishy
I really enjoyed seeing this across social media on the 1st. I feel like this one is an immediately obvious April Fools joke, as Tinder would have to be pretty bold to lash out at such a large portion of its male users like this in a serious manner, but it’s definitely still funny.
This is a great example of a brand listening to its consumers. Many users of the popular dating app make comments about how commonly you see people holding up a big fish in their pictures, so Tinder did a good job of being relatable through an April Fools prank. Hopefully it didn’t upset too many avid fishermen looking for love.
Cadburys x Dairylea – opposites attract
Maybe this will highlight just how gullible I am, but I could honestly see this being a real product. Cadbury’s teamed up with Dairylea to ‘produce’ a Creme Egg with Dairylea cheese inside. I think this prank worked so well because chocolate and cheese are a well-known combination, so why shouldn’t the two snack brands combine their powers?
With it being so close to Easter, anything ‘egg’ related is immediately more believable (for me at least). You often see different brands releasing new products or flavours of egg-related products around Easter time, so why not a chocolate and cheese egg? This was a well timed and well designed April Fools prank.
Duolingo – Move over Love Island
Duolingo, a language learning app, is one of my favourite brands to follow online. Its presence across various social media channels is incredibly comedic, and it did not disappoint with its April Fools prank. Collaborating with TV channel Peacock, Duolingo released a full minute-and-a-half trailer for a new show, Love Language.
The show was a similar concept to Love Island, but with a big twist. Every contestant speaks a different language, so none of them can communicate easily. I’ve never had any interest in watching Love Island, but this concept definitely piqued my interest. Yet another prank that I completely believed, until I clocked the date. Watch the full trailer for Love Language here.
April Fools Day can be a great way to get people talking, and many people appreciate a company that can show a humorous side. When April 1st rolls around next year, why don’t you and your company find a fun and creative way to get involved?
