April Fool’s Day is marked by pranks and jokes. And over the years our favorite brands have also started to join in on the fun and come up with spoofs to surprise their audiences.
However, creating the perfect April Fool’s Day ad is no child’s play. While some brands end up doing an excellent job at throwing the viewers off the scent, others simply fall flat.
So, to further inspire you with amazing April Fool’s Day ideas, here we are with some of our favorite April Fool’s Day videos for the 2010s. Let’s dive in.
1. Goodbye Nose: Google (2013)
Google came up with an excellent April Fool’s Day ad in 2013 that showed that people could search for things by merely smelling on their phones, laptops, or other devices.
The ad seems real initially, and for the first few seconds all that I could ask myself was “where’s the humor?”. However, several people smelling their laptops in an office made me double up with laughter.
Since Google “nose” (pun intended) everything, wouldn’t it be awesome if your search results were just a smell away?
2. SnoopaVision: YouTube (2016)
What was the only thing missing from 360-degree videos? The answer is- Snoop Dogg.
In 2016, YouTube came out with a video that claimed to have made it possible to click on a Snoop Dogg icon under any video on the site, thereby, allowing the viewer to watch it in SnoopaVision. You would then be taken into a 360-degree mode, with Snoop sitting somewhere around you, watching you silently. Yup, not weird at all!
Also, the official launch date for SnoopaVision is 7/27/2043. That means your kids can enjoy it at some point in their lives. Awesome!
3. Genetic Select: Lexus + 23andMe (2018)
In 2018, Lexus collaborated with 23andMe to come up with Genetic Select. The video shows that DNA sequencing would soon help drivers find Lexus cars tailored to their characteristics.
While the use of technical jargon makes the ad look real for most parts, the saliva-backed keyless operation just gave it away to even the most gullible watchers.
4. Hello Hamster: Logitech (2019)
Why does a wireless mouse need to be identified as one if it doesn’t even have a wire, which symbolizes the tail? Therefore, it needs to be addressed as something that hasn’t got a tail.
Mice have tails, hamsters don’t. Since this important biological fact was continuously being pointed out, Logitech finally decided to rebrand all wireless mice as hamsters. The only thing is that the viewers were informed about the same in a 40-sec video ad released a day before the 2019 April Fool’s Day.
Are you still confused about whether the ad is real or not? Well, how about ordering a hamster from Logitech?
5. Furever Weddings: Petco (2019)
First comes love, then comes marriage. For everything in between, there’s Petco's newest service that will help you create the dream pet wedding for your pet.
If you want to have a furever wedding for your pet, you can hire Petco’s wedding planning service that will include everything from planning and design to formal wear fittings, petiquette training (for the big walk down the aisle), and of course, pet-i-cures!
Sounds grand, right? Yeah, too grand to be true!
Final Thoughts
If there is one day when brands can get away with playing a trick on their customers, it’s April Fool’s Day. It is a great opportunity for brands to bring forth their lighter side. While some brands often go over the top with commercials that don’t sit right with the audience, funny and creative pranks can help brands humanize themselves and seem more relatable to their customers.
If you’re looking to lighten the mood this April Fool’s Day, these ads will certainly give you some ideas and inspiration. Happy reading!