7 Marketing April Fools Campaigns That We Can’t Forget
Our team at Slice enjoys a good April Fools campaign. However, some campaigns have performed better than others. Check out seven of the most memorable campaigns below!
Google mic drop campaign
In efforts to spice up most of our daily communications tool, google added a “mic drop” feature to their platform. When the mic drop button was initiated, a gif of a small yellow minion dropping a microphone to end the conversation would attach itself to the email. This caused some distress, as stated in the Verge, “some users were said to have accidentally sent it to bosses, clients, and other people who might not appreciate a mic-dropping minion.”
Lyft Prank Mode
Lyft’s prank mode feature would allow users to set up elaborate pranks including all the bells and whistles- fake radio stations, newscasts, actors, all of it! TMZ capitalized on these efforts by convincing NBA player Festus Ezeli that he was cut from the team by playing a fake news report on the radio informing people that he had been fired from the warriors. Calling Ashton Kutcher- because this actually was a good one.
Jameson Catch Mates
We’ve survived the times when being able to send a potato in the mail actually costs $15.99 and landed the creator on Shark Tank. We were also there when glitter bombing became the next trend. In the same wave, Jameson announced their “Catch Mates” bottle intended for all the whisky loving thieves. When opened, the thief would be doused in glitter for the whole world to see and then continuously shame. While we’re at it, if you haven’t seen youtube star Mark Rober catch phone scammers and amazon package thieves with a glitter bombing camera, you’re really missing out.
Taco Bell
Taco Bell, the place for 3AM baja blast, taco runs and….. national monuments? The brand announced to the world that it bought the Liberty Bell and America actually believed it. The national park service, who currently maintains the liberty bell, had to hire staff just to answer phone calls from enraged americans. Some who were mad solely because they would have bought it if they knew it was for sale. Oh the sweet, sweet outcomes of capitalism. When it comes to campaigns, this one was a hit and we can thank the CEO’s mother for it. Way to go ma.
Petco- furever wedding
We all know petco is where your pets go for treats, training grooming and to actually be a groom. The brand launched a “furever wedding” campaign announcing a brand new service- dog weddings. Now talk about a ~PAW-FECT~ day.
Disney smears
This April fools day campaign was only ~somewhat~ of a joke. I call it a joke lightly because Disney has some super fans. I’m sure everyone knows at least two in their own network. I’m talking about the type of fans who have Disney themed rooms and weddings. The “snears” are a fake invention that would allow disney-go ers to wear their Mickey crowns and fill it with a snack of their choice. There’s two things wrong with this prank. One, it leaves many questions. Do the snacks come with the ears? Or is it another way the parks get us for our money. Two, we all know someone who would actually buy these. But again, disney doesn’t fail. That being said, can we get a new original movie and ease up on live animations?
Slice Communications Emoji Communications Division
Slice Communications isn’t above a good prank. We launched an “Emoji Communications Division” and fooled some industry leaders. Our CEO was quoted saying, “This is because, as PR pros agree, the idea isn’t far-fetched in a world where text communications are the norm. We know that visuals work really well in comms, helping to convey emotion and context. Emojis provide another way to do that.” This year, we’re taking it easy on you and solely providing an insight into other campaigns. You’re welcome ????????
