April Fools’ Day 2024—brand pranks from Ikea to Dunkin’ to Duolingo

Ah, April 1—the day when corporate clowning is more acceptable and less cringe. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs Crashing in with another day of chaotic jokes, this April Fools’ Day brands have come out of their buttoned-up hiding places to make consumers laugh at the absolutely absurd. From gross culinary collabs to ridiculous product launches, see how brands are channeling fun and levity this year. Ikea Even in the cleanest and most organized home there is bound to be everyday clutter. Ikea Singapore’s solution? The new INVSBÅL (pronounced “invisible”) collection, featuring a range of products such as a see-through laundry basket, a transparent picture frame, colorless storage boxes and otherwise-not-visible shoe racks, all priced at $1.04 (a play on the date). The campaign, created with The Secret Little Agency, is inspired by makeshift home solutions that don’t fully address messes, but that we somehow get accustomed to. As part of the campaign, Ikea Singapore is inviting customers to snap and share photos of their own INVSBÅL collections at home for a chance to win gift cards worth $41—which they can use to purchase (hopefully) visible Ikea products to replace their invisible items. The social contest runs until April 2. Pluto TV Of all the injustices in our solar system, the gravest crime might be Pluto’s exclusion from the list of planets and nursery rhyme acronyms. (Remember “My Very Excellent Mom Just Served Us Noodles”?) Pluto TV is asking its namesake to be reinstated as a planet (and respected as an underdog). After all, its Pluto TV’s 10th anniversary. To do so, the FAST network is staging a sit-in at UCLA and running a petition on change.org. It also enlisted famous astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and planetary scientist Alan Stern, who sit on opposite sides of the argument, to duke out the reasons for and against honoring Pluto with the “planet” title. “It was April Fools’ Day when we introduced Pluto TV to the world in 2014, so it’s only fitting that we found a wildly creative and irreverent way to celebrate our 10th anniversary on that same day,” Valerie Kaplan, global SVP and head of marketing at Pluto TV, told Ad Age. “As a company, we have always pushed the boundaries and the same goes for our approach to marketing. We like to have a little fun with our brand because entertainment should be fun. We’ve never been afraid to challenge conventions, and that’s the very reason we’re as successful as we are today.” As for me, I’m on Tyson’s side. Dunkin’ Dunkin’ dropped “Donuts” from its name in 2018, but this April 1, it’s reinstating “Donuts” and kicking “Dunkin’” to the curb. To mark the oh-so-super-legit rebrand, the brand is selling real Donuts’ merch, including sweatshirts in its brand colors, and changing its logo on social platforms. yeah idk might mess around and make merch pic.twitter.com/LqAvXTQRsk— DONUTS' (@dunkindonuts) April 1, 2024 Check out some of the best 2023 April Fools’ pranks Go RVing The solar eclipse is still a week away, but Go RVing is putting an April Fools’ spin on it with RV-Clipse Solar Glasses—a pair of giant eclipse glasses made to fit your RV. Now, you can safely stare directly at the sun while relaxing in your recreational vehicle. Tinder Dating app Tinder, with an assist from Movers+Shakers, said today it is combating ghosting by seeking a new VP of ghost hunting whose job will be to track down “ghosters, breadcrumbers, zombies, submariners and slow-faders alike.” “At Tinder, we won’t rest until all texts from potential situationships have been answered,” said Claire Voyante, head of read receipts at Tinder. “That’s why we’ve created the role. We’re looking for a candidate who won’t stop until they find out why your date didn’t text back. Was work really that crazy, Kyle? Was it? Was it really THAT crazy?” The brand added: “To apply for the new VP of ghost hunting role, don’t. This entire press release is fake. It is all made up and not based on any real evidence or feedback from Tinder members!” Kraft Mac & Cheese x Fruity Pebbles If you’ve spent any time on the culinary side of Reddit, you may have seen that Fruity Pebbles die-hards can cook up some pretty wacky recipes (Fruity Pebbles pickle, anyone?). But what if you could chef up the Final Boss of comfort foods? This April Fools’, Kraft Mac & Cheese introduces Fruity Mac & Cheese, featuring the flavor and colors of Fruity Pebbles. The “launch” will be shared on both brands’ Instagram channels. Appetizing, isn’t it? 7-Eleven If you don’t love the taste of plain water and find it boring, have no fear, 7-Eleven has just the thing to excite your taste buds. On Monday, the brand introduced its newest flavor of sparkling water—Big Bite Hot Dog. Inspired by the iconic 7-Eleven Big Bite Hot Dog (ketchup and mustard included), the flavor is part of a 7-Select sparkling water collection that also includes Lemon Lime, Green Apple and Sweet Orange. The company partnered with Miracle Seltzer to create packaging resembling hot dog meat and will release details about the flavor’s availability (or lack thereof) on its Instagram page. Extra Flamin’ Hot Ever eaten something so spicy you need some milk? That’s the idea behind PepsiCo’s April Fools’ campaign, which promises to sell milk shots alongside its new Extra Flamin’ Hot chip flavors—the Walkers MAX Doritos and Wotsits Crunchy crisps—in the U.K. Not Extra Flamin’ Hot Milk will hit the shelves today and will be on sale for “as long it takes for the British taste buds to mature to the spicy new flavor,” said Dalila FopsRoy, Extra Flamin’ Hot’s head of brand innovation at PepsiCo. Duolingo x Seat Geek Duo the owl is such a star. Over the last year, he’s gone from breaking the internet during the red carpet for “Barbie” to reminding us to do our Duolingo during the Super Bowl. Now, his eyes are set on new sights—theater. This April Fools’ Day, Duolingo launched an in-house campaign, “Duolingo on Ice,” in partnership with SeatGeek, introducing a musical by the same name starring Duo the owl. Directed by Golden Globe winner Jason Woliner (“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” “Nathan for You”) and choreographed by two-time Emmy winner Kathryn Burns, “Duolingo on Ice” is a four-hour skating spectacle starring Duo the Owl and his friends singing songs in over 40 languages as they teach a series of language lessons. Sign up for Ad Age newsletters From influencer marketing to agencies, get the latest news and analysis delivered to your inbox Click here Tickets for shows around the world will be listed exclusively on www.seatgeek.com/duolingo. But since the show is a bit too magical to be real, fans will instead receive an offer for one free month of Super Duolingo and $20 off their next SeatGeek purchase with the code APRILFOOLS2024. Crunch Fitness There’s no better way to get in shape than scrolling on your phone. Trust me, it’s an incredible thumb workout. But sometimes our thumbs work too hard. So, Crunch Fitness launched an April Fools’ campaign urging you to give your thumbs a rest day and engage in a more relaxing exercise. The fitness company launched a seven-minute class video on its Crunch+ digital platform for “Thoga,” a yoga class for thumbs, providing tips on how to best stretch, flex and find zen for your digits and say goodbye to thumb strain. The concept came from agency Familiar Creatures and was executed in-house. Olipop x Pringles It’s a match made in heaven: a bubbly, delicious Olipop soda paired with a can of sour cream and onion crunchy Pringles for a binge-watching, snacking delight. Imagine it, taking a sip of one, munching the other. Sounds fine separately, right? Well, this April Fools’ Day, the brands are uniting the two products into one to create a cream and onion-flavored Olipop drink. They will announce the new flavor in a collaborative Instagram post featuring a soda can donning Pringles icon Mr. P. Thanks to the prank, consumers no longer need to enjoy their chips and soda separately. Krispy Kreme Krispy Kreme’s glazed donuts are renowned throughout America, and this April Fools’ Day, the company is generously sharing the wealth. On Monday, a Krispy Kreme post on social will promise “You bring it, we’ll glaze it!”—inviting fans of the donuts to glaze whatever else they deem appetizing. Picture it: glazed pizza, glazed fries, glazed burgers, glazed salad … It’s a dream—or possibly a nightmare—come true. It’s also reminiscent of KFC South Africa’s recent stunt where it fried up other foods besides chicken—for real. Scotch tape All scotch is whisky, but not all whisky is scotch. That’s why this April Fools’ Day, Scotch tape is leaning into its associations with Scotch whisky and introducing Scotch Whisky by Scotch Brand. The limited-edition spirit is said to feature a nose of cherry wood and a smooth finish. It’s a satisfying resolution to a brand association. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Scotch (@scotch) Zappos Online retailer Zappos introduces Soleful Scents, an extremely limited candle collection that captures the distinctive aromas of well-worn athletic shoes. “The candles allow running enthusiasts to keep the motivational scent of their beloved shoes around long after they’ve been retired,” the brand said. Honda Your car should be as comfortable and customizable to your pet as it is to you. After all, they are our passenger princes and princesses. That’s the idea Honda is leaning into this April Fools’ as it introduces its fictional dog-first technology, the Pet Activated Wireless System (PAW-S), integrated into its e:Ny1 vehicles. PAW-S, according to Honda, is a vehicle entry activation system designed by dogs, for dogs, that allows your dog to access the trunk and canine-friendly amenities. It automatically opens a car’s locked trunk when it senses a dog approaching and locks the door once the dog is inside to ensure safety. Once inside, a nose-activated system includes features such as a fully functional sat nav, with alerts for nearby parks and woodland areas; a contact list of their canine friends for impromptu playdates; climate control to set the perfect temperature for canine comfort; and interactive footage of birds and fish in their natural habitats—all they have to do is “boop” the screen. Vehicles equipped with PAW-S also come with a dog harness attachment, a Honda-branded collar, spill-proof bowl holders and bowl holder inserts. And the vehicle can be customized to include automatic unfolding steps for smaller dogs, a removable “accident” corner for dogs who may not be able to wait, a paw-activated treat dispenser and a built-in toy with rope, squeak and chew options. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs While the system is currently available only for dogs, customizations for other domestic animals will be available in the next six months, with extras catering to cats, rabbits and pygmy goats launching first. I really wish this one was real. YogaRenew Aaaand ... big stretch! Dogs need to get their minds and body right, too. YogaRenew is giving a whole new meaning to “downward dog” by launching a (fictional) online yoga library filled with workouts for pets called Woof Wellness. “Created for dogs, by dogs,” the campaign includes instructional videos to make yoga accessible to literally anyone, anywhere. The campaign will be shared on YogaRenew’s social channels on Instagram and YouTube and via email to subscribers in their morning newsletter. Auntie Anne’s x Frontier Airlines Forget the cookies, Frontier Airlines is bringing an even better airplane snack to its cart (and its fleet) this April Fools’—airplane shaped pretzels courtesy of Auntie Anne’s. Pretzel lovers can also enjoy the smell of hot, fresh pretzels throughout the cabin and watch in-flight entertainment featuring Auntie Anne’s pretzels. Frontier is also introducing Auntie Anne’s branding on its newest plane, The Pretzel Plane. Fluent Florida-based cannabis operator Fluent is taking this April Fools’ Day to get adults nice and educated on stoner language (coincidentally just in time for 4/20). The company is “launching” Rosetta Stoned, a play on the company’s “Fluent” name, to help people become fluent in cannabis lingo. Available for iOS and Android beginning April 1, Rosetta Stoned aims to bridge the conversational gap between novice weed smokers and seasoned stoners in any social setting. Featuring an integrated AI assistant to help correct pronunciation, and 420 different lessons, classes in Rosetta Stoned include: • Talk Terpenes Like a Pro • How to Join a Blunt Rotation • Why THC Percentages Don’t Indicate Quality • Ask the Right Questions at Your First Dispensary Visit Novice stoners can also learn over 710 insider terms such as: exotic, chronic, dank, gas, zaza, bunk, mids, schwag, boof, reggie, shatter, dabs, wax, hash, rosin, dope, herb, bud, ganja and jazz cabbage. You’ll also learn phrases such as: “How much is in this edible?”; “Is that first or second press?”; “Don’t overheat the banger, I like to taste my dabs”; and “Who’s trying to match? I’m about to hit up the plug.”

April Fools’ Day 2024—brand pranks from Ikea to Dunkin’ to Duolingo

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