Brands really made the most of April Fools for 2017, with everyone from Google to Emirates and the Russian Foreign Ministry getting a piece of the action. The pranks were bold, playful and at times a bit strange.
Last year saw Uber offering delivery babies, Krispy Kreme's 3D doughnut printer and a charity finally recognising the plight of billionaires. There's no doubt that this year is sure to shock, confuse and intrigue.
Travelodge unveils bacon scented alarmclocks
Hotel company Travelodge launched a new series of alarm clocks that are sure to rouse you from your slumber.
The Whiff and Sniff, trialled and approved by comedian Rhys Nicholson, emits the smell of sizzling bacon at your desired wake-up time and has already been reported as a mood booster for travellers.
Travelodge is the first hotel company in the country to use the technology, which aims to put an end to travellers sleeping through their alarms and missing flights.
“What’s better than bacon? Bacon in bed. With the new Travelodge Whiff ’n’ Wake service I was woken by the delicious smell of frying bacon, which was far preferable to a standard wake up call,” said Nicholson.
“The added benefit was that I was immediately ready to go downstairs to enjoy the real thing,” says Nicholson.
Naked paintballing and chocolate baths for pets; RedBalloon gets competitive
RedBalloon is offering a plethora of unique experiences to customers. See the original story here.
The most expensive, and likely to be the most popular, is the water tasting class – conducted by a certified water sommelier and fully endorsed by celebrity chef Pete Evans. The class, priced at $300 per head, is 100% paleo friendly.
For the canine in your life, RedBalloon is offering chocolate puppy baths for the small fee of $129. Cat owners can indulge in lessons on how to take 100 perfect kitten photos for Facbook at the never to be repeated price of $99.95 - that's less than one dollar a snap to impress your fawning Facebook friends.
Travel Insurance Direct launches 'tattoo spell checker app'
No Ragrets with this April innovation, Travel Insurance Direct (TID) has officially launched its 'tattoo spell checker' app.
The innovation aims to target the alarming rise in tattoo fails among Aussie travellers abroad, TID promises it has your back – and any other body parts.
TID travel safety expert Phil Sylvester says: “Unfortunately, whilst getting a name or quote in the local language might seem like a magical memento from the trip at the time, increasingly the requests are getting lost in translation, resulting in some serious tatt trouble.”
“Whilst we don’t cover stupidity or misspelling, we do cover other tattoo-related troubles,” Sylvester says.
Groupon turbocharges your workout
Groupon launched the long-awaited G1500 fitness workout event off the back of the company's research at the I.C.A.N Doit Institute.
Launching in a custom-designed studio in the heart of Surry Hills, G1500 revolutionises traditional functional training routines with exercises like waste training, virtual reality cycle and flotation yoga, plus cryogenic fro-yo and wearable tech support stations.
Designed by Groupon to pack the ultimate wellbeing punch, G1500 combines 15 health and fitness trends into an ultra-intensive 15-minute workout.
The 15-minute G1500 workout follows optimal ‘training-to-rest’ ratios to achieve maximum staying power, with 47 seconds allocated to complete each activity station, and 13 seconds to recuperate and centre oneself.
CupoNation creates clean energy with child labour
German coupon company, CupoNation, has engineered a quick and carefree eco-friendly energy source that will cut your bill in half.
Using youth technology, 'The Child Wheel' produces green, clean energy for your household when your child runs inside it.
The innovation harnesses natural methods as stronger your child becomes, the more you save energy.
The Child Wheel promises to halve your energy bill, while keeping the kids healthy and happy.
Municipalities can buy several wheels, place them on playgrounds next to parking spaces and charge electric cars for free.
Foodora enters (extraterrestrial) terrain
Food delivery service Foodora has announced that the company will soon reach beyond the global market.
Up until now the process has remained a closely guarded secret, however, AdNews can now confirm the company is developing highly advanced in-flight space delivery food.
Foodora is currently looking for a space mission partner, so it can showcase what it’s hailing as a first of its kind in-flight galactic menu.
It’s one small step for man, one giant leap for food delivery.
Contiki introduces the world's first AI trip manager
Travel operator Contiki is taking new leaps into trip technology with the announcment of the ‘Artificial Intelligence Trip Managers’ (A.T.I.T.A).
This ground breaking innovation is the world’s first of its kind, utilising the potential of artificial intelligence technology to create a new, state-of-the-art travel experience for young Australians.
Contiki strives to bridge the gap between travel and technology, and this incorporation of the latest AI software is a big step towards achieving this. Contiki has risen to the challenge of creating the perfect artificial intelligence trip manager, that doesn’t feel artificial at all.
Contiki managing director Katrina Barry says: “We have been experimenting with artificial intelligence for over 18 months now and are proud to be the world’s first travel company to introduce AI trip managers.”
“We know young people are digital natives and as technology improves, Contiki is redefining travel and taking it to the next level,” Barry says.
ING launches money-printing smartphone
Not wanting to miss out on the foolery, ING has unveiled the 'iTM' smartphone that prints money.
The world first aims to transform the way customers access their money, securely.
ING is the only bank in Australia which offers fee-free withdrawals at any ATM, so the April Fools is almost plausible – almost.
ING Direct executive director John Arnott says the innovation reflects the on-the-go lifestyle of customers.
“At ING Direct we realise our customers want access to money on their terms, at a time that suits them. With the iTM, customers will no longer have to fin an ATM in order to withdraw money,” Arnott says.
“It reinforces just how simple it is to manage your money with ING.”
EHarmony gets 'magnetic'
Dating site eHarmony is taking the laws of attraction a bit too seriously in its latest app innovation.
'Magnetism' will drag you and your match together through physical attractors which radiate from your smartphone.
Eharmony MD Nicole McInnes says: “Instant magnetism is so essential to finding love, we thought we'd cut out the talk and just add it directly to the eHarmony app.”
“It works really simply: when the feature is turned on, a powerful force draws together the phones of two people that are highly compatible, making it impossible for them not to meet,” McInnes says.
The (fake) app is (not) available on Android and iOS.
Infiniti Telecommunications offers in-sourced call centre
Australian Telecommunications company Infiniti has announced a new customer experience initiative.
Infiniti is (satirically) offering an in-house call centre with a specially created cloud-computer program designed to simulate conversations with a human support team .
The gag was accompanied by an online video which details the unique service, while having a tongue-in-cheek jab at the telecommunications industry's tendency to “outsource call centres to the Philippines and India”.
Inifiniti CMO Pete Williams says: “We know in the past our customer service hasn’t been fantastic, and as we continue to make serious and real advances in the actual customer experience we offer, we wanted to take a moment to have a little laugh and poke fun at our industry.”
Ownage Pranks gets serious
US based prank call company Ownage Pranks is taking a different approach to April Fool's Day – offering pre-scripted calls on its app specifically designed for the day.
Customers will be able to dial the number of their victim and then chose from a variety of prank call options based on situational triggers. The app can conduct fluid conversations in real-time using human (sounding) voices and lasts for up to two minutes.
The app can be purchased online.
Primo offers bacon wrap
Primo Smallgoods launched a product innovation for 1 April, the Primo Bacon Wrap. The easy-to-use packaging is said to be a terrible food protector and almost certain to attract pests, but it does look very delicious.
Carnival Cruises gets Arctic
Carnival announced a winter themed Arctic ship with an ice bar and petting zoo as the ship spends roughly six months of the year in Alaska. The makeover also features an ice waterslide, and sees the cruise ship renamed the 'Carnival Arctic Legend'.
Mountain Dew goes vertical
Mountain Dew announced the sponsorship of a ground breaking ramp, with 70m vertical drop allowing speeds of up to 90km/h and potential air time of around 7 seconds. The company is also working with top international skaters to ensure that the park’s 2018 opening in Kangaroo Point will be the stage for the world’s first 1800 degree corkscrew spin.
Global pranks:
Snapchat takes aim at Instagram
Snapchat took a jab at competitor Instagram for April Fool's Day, announcing the launch of a new faux-interface. The upgrade would allow fellow users to 'comment' and 'love' a photo. People were quick to clue onto the prank given the date.
McDonald's goes mini
McDonald's is satisfying tiny cravings with its latest offering – a bite-sized BigMac. The launch of the Micro burger was accompanied by a 30-second spot on the restaurant’s YouTube channel and has already received more than 20k views.
Pop Tarts gets crusty
Breakfast snack company Pop Tarts pushed its latest innovation – crust-only Pop Tarts. Who needs the jam when you can only have the outer edges?
Snickers Knickers
Snickers played it a bit tame with its April Fool, dropping a six-second spot on its YouTube channels announcing the release of 'Sknickers'. The (fake) underwear is offered to both men and women.
Virgin Atlantic gets flappy
Sir Richard Branson had a good laugh at the expense of his YouTube viewers' for April Fools, pushing the latest changes for Virgin Atlantic; planes with wings that flap. The minute-a-half long video, 'Is it a plane', sees Branson explaining the use of 'flapenergy', an untapped science.
Google Gnome
Google tapped into the AI in-house helpers with Google Gnome. The device, specifically made for outdoor use, answers important questions such as 'why is humidity the worst', and 'which way is the wind blowing'.
Emirates redesigns
Emirates announced a serious in-plane makeover, a triple-decker APR001 aircraft that includes a swimming pool, games room gym and park. Note the name of the plane...
Russia offers hacking
Inspired by the Trump-Russia fiasco, the country's Foreign Ministry announced a new service with a video posted to its Facebook page which offers “a new answering machine for Russian diplomatic missions abroad”.
Burger King Whopper Toothpaste and cologne
The first of the big brands to make a mockery of consumers is Burger King, which overnight launched a Whopper flavoured toothpaste and cologne.
The burger company teamed up with European agency, Buzzman, to create the faux campaign.
If you see any funny April Fool jokes, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.