How Will Your Brand Celebrate April Fools' Day?

One of the most important lessons for brand marketers is, "Don't make your customers feel like fools," however, that lesson may not apply on April Fools' Day. Customers and fans like a good joke and enjoy creativity when it comes to brand storytelling and brand marketing.

Here are five stand-out April Fools' Day campaigns since 2010:

OREO

In 2024, cookie brand Oreo posted the following message on Twitter/X:

"After time and consideration, we have made the decision to separate the cookie and the creme duo that you all know to be as OREO cookies. There are no secrets or anyone to blame, we are just two best friends who met at a very young age and have grown over the past 112 years in our own ways. We appreciate your continuous support as we enter this new chapter, separately."

On Instagram, @just_the_creme described itself as: "Better off alone."

On Instagram, @just_the_wafer described itself as: "This cookie won't crumble."

A follow-up post explained: "Just the Creme and Just the Wafer hit shelves 4/31."

However, April has only 30 days. So, if you had not realized that this content was an April Fools' Day joke, that final post provided the gotcha!

TIFFANY & CO.

In 2021, global jewelry company Tiffany & Co. changed its iconic blue color to yellow. The company announced the change on Instagram with a new hashtag #TiffanyYellow, but many followers were quick to point out a key detail: the announcement was made on April First, aka, April Fools' Day.

VOLKSWAGEN

In 2021, automaker Volkswagen announced that it had a new name for its American division: "Voltswagen" of America with the goal to raise awareness about the company's all-electric SUV model. It turned out that the announcement was part of an elaborate April Fools' Day joke - and even The Wall Street Journal reported the prank.

BMW

In 2019, automaker BMW announced "Lunar Paint," a car paint that could charge electric vehicles by moonlight. According to the company, "Lunar Paint uses revolutionary photovoltaic technology to passively recharge your battery in the hours of darkness." The brand later thanked its fans with this message: "We hope you enjoyed this year's April Fools' Day. Whilst Lunar Paint may not be of this world yet, BMW does have an innovative range of existing technologies for you to discover - including solar and digital."

GOOGLE

In 2010, when people visited the Google homepage to conduct a search, they didn't see the familiar Google logo and search box. Instead, Google was replaced with the word Topeka. So instead of saying "Google it" when wanting to find an answer that day, users were forced to say "Topeka it." The Kansas capital city unofficially changed its name to Google as part of an effort to convince the search engine giant to select it as a test site for its planned super-fast, fiber-optic network.

And lastly, did any other brands stand out last year besides Oreo? According to USA Today, "Every April 1st, brands and companies want to get some laughs - and attention - with goofy new product launches." Here were some from 2024:

* Healthy soda brand OLIPOP and Pringles jointly announced a "Sour Cream and Onion Soda."

* The Dole Banana Peel Sleeping Bag was promoted as only available on April Fools' Day.

* Scotch Whisky was promoted by none other than Scotch Brand, the tape brand. The whisky was described as "featuring a nose of cherry wood and a delightfully smooth finish that hits like a well-wrapped gift."

* Dunkin' announced that it was returning to its roots on April 1st and would be rebranding to just "Donuts." According to a press release, "It's April 1, which means it's time for some spring cleaning, and we're not joking around! Out with the old and in with the new, as they say. Today, April 1, 2024, we are proud to announce that we are changing our name to DONUTS'. A few years ago, we moved to a first name basis with America and dropped "Donuts" from our name, but now we've changed our minds. DONUTS' sounds way better than Dunkin' - don't you think?"

* Auntie Anne's pretzels and Frontier Airlines collaborated on the newest addition to Frontier's fleet: the Pretzel Plane offering pretzels rolled seat-side as well as airplane-shaped pretzels.

Will your brand celebrate April Fools' Day with a clever and memorable joke?

Image Credits: USA Today.