It’s that time of year again when skepticism fills the air and fake news floods our social media feeds. Until midday on April Fools’ Day, believe nothing and trust no one!
For brands, April 1 has become a significant event on the marketing calendar. We’ve seen pranks that range from bogus product launches that sometimes serve as testing grounds for potential ideas, to jokes that range from genuinely amusing and engaging, to those that are so cringe worthy they make you want to fold yourself into an alternate dimension.
At the heart of it all, the best April Fools’ Day jokes are those that make people stop, think twice and question what they’ve just read or heard. The key to creating great branded April Fools’ Day content is to strike a balance between credibility and entertainment, while staying true to your brand’s personality.
Well-executed April Fools’ Day pranks can bring a smile to people’s faces and create a positive buzz around a brand. We always love it when companies surprise and delight their customers, so we say yes to any kind of content that keeps the creativity flowing and spreads happiness.
Here’s our roundup of some of our favourite April Fools’ content from Australian brands this year.
Brumby’s Bakery launches a Fairy Bread Loaf
Brumby’s is out here giving the people what they want with the launch of an innovative new ‘Fairy Bread Loaf’. This nostalgic sugary childhood treat now “comes in one slice”, which means no more fussing around with spreading sprinkles on individual slices of bread. Seriously, if this was real, Brumby’s can take all our money ‘cause we’re ready to stock up on this slice of heaven.
Scratch introduces Good Dog Tea
Dog food delivery service Scratch brewed up a quirky and fun new product for our furry friends – Good Dog Tea! We particularly loved their product descriptions that included flavours like “the faintest touch of freshly-mown grass” and “memories of your dog’s mother”. If this was a real thing, our office dogs would go mutts for it.
Queensland Police launch a PaddleBoard Patrol
Queensland Police are not afraid to have a little fun while keeping us all safe, and we’re here for it. We loved their April Fools’ Day post which announced the formation of a brand new squad of crime-fighting paddle boarders who patrol the waterways looking for reckless behavior. We can’t help but give them some major props for their seriously epic social media skills.
City of Melbourne brews up The Big Flat White
The City of Melbourne got in on the April Fool’s Day fun, announcing their very own big attraction: The Big Flat White. This would actually be very on-brand for Melbourne – just don’t put it in a single-use disposable cup.
Grill’d launches Edible Herb-Infused Bath Salt
Grill’d have taken bath time to a whole new level with their limited edition, edible herb-infused bath salt! You can now sprinkle some thyme, rosemary and sage over your bubbles while snacking on some fries.
Edit: It turns out Grill’d have actually created this amazing bath salt IRL, and they’re even giving it away to the first 100 customers in Melbourne and Sydney. Sometimes dreams do come true.
McDonald’s launches the McFry
McDonald’s got in on the April Fools Day action with the McFry – a Quarter Pounder stacked high with delicious French fries. Customers were so obsessed with this idea that they begged McDonald’s to make it a reality.
While we can’t deny the appeal, we’re not convinced it’s worth the effort of convincing a major fast-food chain to make it happen. Honestly, just put chips in your own burger.
CSIRO discovers the most adorable new wombat
The CSIRO made an April Fool’s Day announcement that was equally adorable and heartbreaking, sharing a post celebrating the discovery of a new species of wombat that’s so small it can fit in the palm of your hand.
Quickly dubbed the cutest thing ever, the teacup wombat captured the hearts of many, but alas, it was all just a joke. While we may never get to meet a real-life teacup wombat, props to the CSIRO for their commitment to spreading joy and cuteness.
Glenlivet goes Down Under with The Goonlivet
Scottish malt whiskey company Glenlivet embraced the Australian spirit with their April Fool’s Day creation, The Goonlivet – a premium 12-year-old fine single malt whisky, now conveniently served in a 1.5L goonbag. It’s the perfect way to add a touch of class to your next backyard barbecue.
Australian Bananas launches Banana-flavoured toothpaste
The folks over at Australian Bananas always have fun with their socials and this April Fools’ Day was no exception with the launch of a banana-flavoured toothpaste. That’s right, you can now brush your teeth with the same flavour you’ve been snacking on for years. I think we’ll just stick to peeling and eating bananas the old-fashioned way.
Virgin Australia introduces Fly Cleaning
Virgin Australia pulled off a playful prank, announcing the launch of their new dry cleaning service, ‘Fly Cleaning’. This innovative service aims to spare travellers from the dreaded post-holiday laundry marathon. Travellers can drop off their dirty laundry at check-in, where it returns clean and pressed at your destination, enabling you to take home nothing but cherished memories. Great execution, and an idea we could definitely get on board with.
Koala x KX Pilates introduce the Pilates Bed
Online mattress retailer Koala teamed up with KX Pilates to announce a game-changing (and slightly terrifying) contraption called the Koala Reformer Bed. It’s a bed that transforms into a workout machine, so you can sleep on one side and burn calories on the other. We’re already breaking a sweat just thinking about it.
Tangalooma Island announces new mascot for the 2023 Brisbane Olympics
Tangalooma Island made an adorable announcement that their resident dolphin, Calypso, has been selected as the official mascot for the 2023 Brisbane Olympics! Simple and cute. Although it was just a joke, their followers are really rooting for Calypso to make this a reality. #JusticeForCalypso
Spotify launches a bluetooth carriage
Spotify Australia announced the Spotify Carriage, a train carriage where passengers can connect their Bluetooth speakers and play their own music. While some might love the idea of being in charge of the soundtrack for their train journey, the thought of being stuck next to someone blasting terrible music sent commenters into panic mode.
Vegemite x ChaTime introduce new bubble tea flavour
Vegemite has teamed up with ChaTime to bring you the latest in bubble tea trends: the Vegemi-tea! This sweet and salty bubble tea comes complete with Vegemite pearls, and tbh we’re not quite sure what to make of it. Quick, someone call the Queensland Police.
SBO Financial launches The Balance Sheet
This year we worked with one of our clients, the one and only Very Fun Accountant™️ SBO Financial, to unveil their new product: The Balance Sheet. This luxurious linen sheet is designed specifically to help accountants at the dividend of their tether hide from the chaos of EOFY, because sometimes you just need to take a break from all those numbers and have a little nap.
The Balance Sheet proves that even supposedly “boring” industries can create fun, quirky content – especially on April Fools’ Day. Sign us up for a whole batch of Liability Lilac.
Duolingo creates new reality dating series ‘Love Language’
Finally, although it’s not an Australian brand, we couldn’t resist including this gem. Duolingo, the widely popular language-learning app, unveiled a trailer for its new series, ‘Love Language’. The premise is simple: a group of singles move into a house with one major problem – they don’t speak the same language.
Duolingo’s execution of this concept is spot-on, partnering with US streaming service Peacock to bring us a captivating trailer that had us hooked from the outset. If this were a genuine show, I would absolutely clear time in my schedule to watch it play out.
