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Even in an era where distinguishing between reality and satire can be challenging, brands and companies have embraced the spirit of April Fools’ Day, unleashing a fresh wave of humorous and often outlandish pranks. From bizarre food concoctions to outlandish tech gadgets and travel schemes, these corporate jokes offer a momentary escape into lightheartedness. This year’s collection of April Fools’ Day pranks includes everything from a Gen Z slang decoder to savory flavored sparkling water, wearable mattresses and even outer space travel insurance. Let’s dive into some of the most creative April Fools’ Day pranks of 2024.
Duolingo’s Five-Year Cruise Prank
Language learning app Duolingo, which previously joked about eliminating and then reviving its owl mascot, Duo, has unveiled its major April Fools’ Day prank: a fictitious partnership with Carnival Cruise Lines for a five-year global voyage. This supposed “world cruise” would span 195 countries and involve navigating over 40 languages. The promotional material humorously warns of the consequences of neglecting one’s Duolingo streak, depicting a traveler comically ejected from a waterslide for missing a lesson.
Priceline’s “Actual Reality” Goggles
Travel deals company Priceline collaborated with comedian Atsuko Okatsuka to present a unique take on virtual reality with “actual reality goggles.” In a playful twist, these goggles offer users a direct view of the real world, promoting real-life experiences over virtual ones. While presented as a joke, the campaign subtly encourages people to disconnect from screens and engage with the physical world.
Yahoo Agricultural Interface: “Touch Grass” Keyboard
Yahoo marked April Fools’ Day with the announcement of the “Yahoo Agricultural Interface,” a keyboard designed to bring the outdoors to your fingertips. This “groundbreaking new product” is intended to let users “touch grass” without disconnecting from their computers. The promotional material highlights its soft texture, while also playfully cautioning users about the need for strong touch-typing skills.
ElevenLabs’ Text-to-Bark AI for Canine Communication
ElevenLabs introduced a whimsical innovation for pet owners: a text-to-bark artificial intelligence engine designed for dogs. This “text-to-bark AI” aims to facilitate seamless communication with canine companions. According to ElevenLabs, users can simply type a message, select a dog breed, and the AI will convert the text into “fluent barking.”
Royal Albert Hall’s Nokia 3310 Immersive Experience
The Royal Albert Hall, a prestigious UK venue, announced a concert experience filled with nostalgia: the Immersive Nokia 3310 Experience. This April Fools’ prank event was advertised to capitalize on “noughties nostalgia” and feature performances of classic Nokia ringtones and alarms by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, along with live-streamed gaming and a special performance by organist Anna Lapwood.
Natural Grocers’ Savory Sparkling Waters
Natural Grocers, a grocery chain, ventured into unconventional flavors for their April Fools’ Day joke: savory sparkling waters. Departing from typical fruit and citrus flavors, they introduced fictional “savory spritzers” in joke flavors like clam water, mac and cheese water, raw onion water, and roasted chicken water. The company playfully suggested mac and cheese as the most palatable option among the unusual range.
William Shatner’s Mars Mission Announcement
William Shatner, known for his role as Captain Kirk in Star Trek, engaged in April Fools’ Day humor by teasing fans on X about a supposed SpaceX mission to Mars. In his post, Shatner claimed to be embarking on a “life-changing decision” to leave Earth for this “historic mission.” He even shared a photo of himself with Elon Musk in spacesuits and proposed the idea of establishing “Shatner City” on Mars.
Eight O’Clock Coffee’s Coffee-Infused Black Beans
Eight O’Clock Coffee, a coffee company, unveiled a peculiar flavor combination as their April Fools’ Day prank: coffee-infused black beans. This fictional product merges coffee beans and black beans into a novel food item, asking, “Hey, it’s all just beans, right?”
Olipop’s Hidden Valley Ranch Soda Collection
Soda company Olipop revealed a surprising collaboration for April Fools’ Day: a partnership with Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing to launch a “Ranch Lovers Pack.” This joke product line features ranch soda, jalapeno ranch soda, garlic ranch soda, and hot honey ranch soda.
Ariat’s “New Boot Goofin'” Campaign with Lt. Dangle
Boot company Ariat partnered with actor Thomas Lennon, in character as Lt. Jim Dangle from Reno 911, for their April Fools’ Day campaign. The “New Boot Goofin'” campaign features a humorous video showcasing Lennon’s character engaging in antics while promoting Ariat boots.
Logitech G Pro X 10 Minimalist Keyboard
Logitech introduced the G Pro X 10 keyboard as their April Fools’ Day joke, emphasizing a minimalist design. Marketed for “the most efficient gamers,” the keyboard playfully suggests that fewer keys equate to greater efficiency.
Sonic’s Pizza-Making Toolbox
Tool and tool storage company Sonic revealed the Next toolbox PZA edition, a combination toolbox and pizza oven. Sonic playfully described this “innovative storage space” as being combined with a “powerful pizza oven” to create a “stylish and delicious solution.”
Red Lobster Cheddphones: Edible Earpieces
Red Lobster promoted “cheddphones,” earpieces shaped like their Cheddar Bay biscuits, as their April Fools’ Day offering. As part of the joke, Red Lobster announced that hungry fans could mention “Cheddphones” at any location on April Fools’ Day to receive complimentary, real biscuits.
Pickle Milk: A Questionable Beverage
In a rather unsettling April Fools’ Day prank, pickleball clothing company Le Pickle Club teamed up with dairy-free beverage company Mooala to introduce “Pickle milk.” This concoction is described as a “stomach-turning, drinkable, fermented-cucumber concept.”
Husqvarna’s Alien Lawn Circles and Robotic Mowers
Husqvarna, an outdoor power products company, played on sci-fi tropes by joking about “mysterious circles appearing in lawns” similar to crop circles. The April Fools’ Day reveal linked these circles to Husqvarna’s residential robotic lawn mowers.
Insuranceopedia’s Flat Earth Travel Insurance
Insurance comparison service Insuranceopedia presented “Flat Earth travel insurance.” This policy, created exclusively for “travelers who believe the Earth is flat,” humorously addresses potential travel mishaps like “falling off the edge of the Earth,” “loss of gravity,” and “UFO detainment.”
7-Eleven’s 2025 Mystery Donut
Convenience store chain 7-Eleven announced its April Fools’ Day celebration with the “2025 mystery donut,” a Bismark-style pastry with an undisclosed flavor. The company challenged customers to guess the flavor, with early tasters suggesting a vague lemony hint.
Whisker’s “Cat Pu/No. 2” Rose-Scented Candle
Whisker, the maker of Litter-Robot automatic litter boxes, introduced the “Cat Pu/No. 2” candle as an April Fools’ Day joke. While named to evoke a less pleasant aroma, the candle, offered with Litter-Robot purchases on April Fools’ Day, actually features a rose scent.
Reese’s and Cadbury’s Chocolate Egg “EGGING” Prank
Candy companies Reese’s and Cadbury collaborated on an April Fools’ Day prank encouraging people to “egg” friends and family with chocolate eggs instead of messy raw eggs. This “tastiest April Fools’ prank” involves gifting candy eggs and leaving a note saying, “You’ve been egged.”
The Odd Company’s City Napper Wearable Mattress
UK mattress and bedding retailer The Odd Company promoted the “City Napper,” a wearable mattress designed for comfortable commuting. This April Fools’ Day joke product includes a wraparound headrest and quilted poncho for napping on public transport.
Razer Skibidi Headset: Gen Z Slang Translator
Razer unveiled the “Razer Skibidi headset,” an AI-powered “brainrot translator” headset, as their April Fools’ Day prank. This headset is designed to “translate” Gen Z gaming slang, providing interpretations for phrases popular among younger gamers.
Bodyarmor Sports Performance Shampoo
Sports drink company Bodyarmor announced a foray into hair care with “Sports Performance Shampoo,” supposedly packed with electrolytes and vitamins. This April Fools’ Day joke ties in with the NHL and hockey players’ hairstyles, and leads to a real sweepstakes offering tickets to the Stanley Cup finals.
Tips to Avoid Falling For April Fools’ Pranks
Verify URLs of News Sources
Maintain a heightened sense of skepticism, particularly around April Fools’ Day. Double-check the URLs of news reports, especially those that seem unusual. Legitimate news sources will have recognizable and correctly spelled web addresses.
Be Mindful of the Date
Pay attention to the timing of product announcements, especially around April Fools’ Day and the days leading up to it. Companies often invest significant effort into elaborate April Fools’ Day pranks, even creating fake websites or promotional videos. If a product seems too strange to be true and is announced around April 1st, approach it with caution.
Cross-Reference Information
Always fact-check suspicious information, especially before making any purchases. Ensure you are on the official company website and search for the product name or details online to see if it’s been identified as an April Fools’ Day prank. Often, fake product pages will overtly reveal the joke.
Exercise Caution with Social Media
Be wary of information shared on social media platforms. April Fools’ Day pranks and misinformation can easily spread on platforms like Facebook, X, Reddit, TikTok, and Instagram.
回顾 2023 年愚人节恶作剧 (Stacking up 2023 April Fools’ Day Pranks)
Last year’s April Fools’ Day pranks from companies included:
- Duolingo on Ice
- Scotch whisky from the makers of Scotch tape
- Hot-sauce flavored Tic Tacs
- Flying J truck stop–scented cologne
- Sour cream and onion Olipop soda
- A “Rainforest Cafe” atop the Empire State Building
- 7-Eleven’s hot dog water–flavored sparkling water