April Fools’ Day 2025—See all the best brand pranks from Asda to Yahoo

Brands are in the pranking spirit this April Fools’ Day, pulling out all the stops to bamboozle consumers and make them laugh. This year, many teased campaigns early, with some posting “announcements” several days in advance and keeping consumers guessing. Enter the free 2025 Young Creatives Contest here Some brands announced fake collaborations with other unexpected brands, while others launched fake products meant to let imaginations run wild. From a five-year cruise to NSFW shaving razors, see how brands are having fun this year. 1924 Wines Inspired by the same craftsmanship used in making 1924 Wine, the brand said it’s launching a product that combines the essence of its Cabernet Sauvignon with beard magic. The Limited-Reserve Bourbon Barrel-Aged Cabernet Sauvignon-Infused Beard Elixir isn’t your typical “soften and condition” beard oil. Thanks to its grapes, the oil has actual aging effects, leading to more dapper and sophisticated results overnight, transforming one into a distinguished silver fox within 24 hours—with George Clooney-level suave. Asda After bringing back its “Pocket Tap” ads this year, along with rollback price cuts, the U.K. grocer said it’s introducing a dress code that requires shoppers to have a visible rear pocket to enter their local Asda. Asda will also hand out free stick-on pockets at the door to those needing them. A training video for Asda employees details how they must enforce the policy. Blackweek In an early April Fools’ post, Blackweek co-founders Joseph Anthony and Walter Geer posted on LinkedIn that after “careful deliberation” and considering the “obvious movement to erase certain words from the business lexicon,” the organization is changing its name to Blankweek “in an effort to be more inclusive.” The post is meant to spark conversation about how, in the current climate, even if diversity program names are erased, such actions can’t erase history or Black people’s contributions to society. Bodyarmor Recognizing that hockey players are known for their speed, toughness and hockey hair, Coca-Cola-owned Bodyarmor said it’s launching a sport performance shampoo formulated to provide electrolytes and vitamins to hair to keep it hydrated and healthy. Developed in partnership with Great Clips, the shampoo promises real ingredients and no artificial dyes. While the shampoo is a joke, fans can enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win real tickets to the Stanley Cup Finals. Cadbury The candy brand unveiled “On The Goo” packets of Creme Egg filling, perfect for drizzling on any foods you desire. The gag is from U.K. agency Elvis. Crunch For those who think the chocolate bar’s crunching sound is too loud, Crunch said it’s introducing Crunch Lite, made with cooked rice instead of crispy rice so people can enjoy a quieter candy. Dollar Shave Club DSC dreamed up the “Ball Mirror,” a new grooming technology tool meant to ensure maximum precision for below-the-belt shaves. Consumers can enter a sweepstakes to win their own Ball Mirror, with winners selected on April 1. Dude Wipes x Manscaped The brands teamed up for a prank that takes men’s grooming to “a hole new level” (get it?), announcing the release of a tool that features interchangeable heads for trimming, buffing and cleansing the hole on the rear end. Dunkin’ Dunkin’ is skipping the tricks this year and offering customers a real promotion for those who may have trust issues. On April 1, Dunkin’ is giving away 1 million free hot or iced coffees or cold brews of any size to rewards members with the promo code ThisIsNotAJoke in the Dunkin’ app. Duolingo x Carnival In a flashy stunt launched with Carnival Cruise Line, Duolingo announced it would take language learning “to the next level” with a five-year cruise voyage around the globe. The trip apparently includes full language immersion, cultural exploration and an unreasonable amount of shrimp. Carnival also claims to have secured a new ship for the five-year itinerary named Carnival Gufo. (If you’ve been doing your Duolingo lessons, you’ll know Gufo means “owl” in Italian.) If five years is too much of a time commitment, consumers can instead enjoy a free month of Super Duolingo and get special offers on a shorter Carnival cruise. The kicker is that the experience comes with merchandise available for pre-order, which includes a matching apparel set, a Captain Duo beach towel and a bucket hat—for sailing the world or just standing near the pool. Eternal Water The brand announced the world’s first AI-sourced water, heralding “a new era in synthetic hydration.” Odysseus Arms was the agency behind the spot. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Eternal Water (@eternalwater) Grindr x One/Size The social networking app for gay, bisexual, trans and queer people teamed up with the beauty brand to give its makeup setting spray can a girthy “hook-up proof” update. The On ‘Til Dawn Mattifying Waterproof Setting Spray comes complete with a ruler on the side of the can to measure “what really matters,” if you get their meaning. Inspired by Grindr’s “for scale” pics, the release implies there is no longer a need to use soda cans or shampoo bottles for size comparison. Grindr actually made a limited quantity of the special packaging (not a joke) for consumers to request, while supplies last. The product is not available for purchase. Grove Collaborative Plastic-neutral retailer Grove Collaborative references the stat that only 5% of plastic is recycled with its “5% Collection,” a fictional lineup of Grove’s most popular cleaning products in miniature sizes. The campaign suggests if the average person wouldn’t use products that small, why would they rely on a recycling system that has just as small of an impact? The collection, rolling out on Grove’s socials, includes a link to resources on the plastic waste crisis. HiSmile x KFC The Australian oral-care brand is introducing KFC-flavored toothpaste, along with a co-branded electric toothbrush. Unlike most gags on this list, which consist solely of mocked-up images, HiSmile said it’s actually producing this stuff, bringing the “unmistakable taste of crispy, golden perfection straight to your toothbrush.” Hopwtr Non-alcoholic sparkling water brand Hopwtr is getting a “rebrand” this April Fools’ Day, becoming “Hoppi”—yes, like Poppi but with an H. After the news that Poppi was acquired by PepsiCo, Hopwtr’s campaign aims to “keep up with the times” and give customers what they want. The brand is sending vending machines to its network of content creators so they can “sip Hoppi-er.” The brand is also expected to release its first-ever commercials featuring celeb cameos online. Rewind: The backlash to Poppi’s viral vending machines Lime x Uber The rideshare and bike rental companies said they added “Lime Chauffeur” to Uber as a riding option—“the perfect e-bike sidecar for sustainable passenger princesses.” Lime Chauffeur is “where eco-friendly meets effortless,” the brand said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Uber (@uber) Mrs. T’s Pierogies Frozen food brand Mrs. T’s Pierogies said it’s entering the skincare category with the release of Mrs. T’s Pierogies Premium Pampering Set, an all-in-one self-care kit with luxurious products that will make you wonder why you didn’t start rubbing mashed potatoes all over your face sooner. The kit includes Whipped Mashed Potatoes & Cheesy Goodness Face Cream, Pierogies with Butter and Onions Lip Oil and Mini-Pierogy Eye Patches, or so the story goes. Nutella As families gear up to travel during the warm weather season, Nutella said it’s launching a home rental in Lake Placid, New York, for Nutella fans called Nutella BnB. The location supposedly features a Nutella-shaped house with furniture, decor and everything in between representing the spread. The Odd Company The British mattress brand’s gag caters to commuters who hate getting out of bed in the morning. The brand said it’s launching the City Napper, a luxury portable mattress designed to help burned-out Brits get some extra Zzzs on their way to work. The mattress features a cushioned, wrap-around headrest and quilted poncho to drape over the body, so that, like remote workers working from their beds, in-office workers can bring their beds to work. Olipop x Hidden Valley Ranch Olipop and Hidden Valley Ranch teamed up to launch a faux functional soda called the “Ranch Lovers Pack,” which includes four flavors: Ranch, Jalapeño Ranch, Garlic Ranch and Hot Honey Ranch. To make it seem believable, the brand sent wrapped Olipop cans to creators to “taste test” and get in on the joke. Omaha Steaks The food company said it’s expanding into the publishing industry with a debut novel titled “Certified Tender,” featuring a “meat-cute” romance (get it?) about love and food. In celebration of the Meat Cute Romance book series, Omaha Steaks is offering a $99 Meat Cute Collection featuring filet mignons, gourmet steakhouse fries and a bottle of Drawbridge Cabernet Sauvignon. The series is available for free online. Popeyes After teasing a jar of pickles on Instagram, Popeyes said it’s introducing a limited-time pickle menu. The menu includes a Pickle Glaze Sandwich, Pickle Glaze Bone-In and Boneless Wings, Fried Pickles and Pickle Lemonade. In addition, Popeyes also “pickled” its flagship restaurant in Times Square, turning it green top to bottom, including the exterior signage and an ASMR booth for capturing the crunch of biting into Popeyes. View this post on Instagram A post shared by @popeyes Quizlet x Smarties Quizlet and Smarties said they’ve developed “Thinkies,” a perfect snack for students who study hard even when they’re not feeling it. The candy is supposedly designed to boost brain power and enjoyment while studying. Red Lobster The restaurant chain said it’s introducing “Cheddphones,” a pair of headphones made with Cheddar Bay Biscuits. Reese’s Reese’s is pranking fans by pretending it’s getting into the sandwich business with Reese’s Chocolate Bread, meant to be paired with Reese’s Peanut Butter and your favorite jelly for an ultimate PB&J. Serhant The real estate brand said it’s rebranding to help people pronounce its name correctly (Ser-hant, not Ser-hahnt). In a video inspired by Meta’s rebrand, CEO and founder Ryan Serhant introduces the new name as Serh 🐜 (yes, with an ant emoji). The prank features an internal email to staff, a social video, digital activations, influencer videos and limited-edition merchandise. Ad Age Creativity Bookmark our section covering the best in brand creativity every day Read more here Sour Patch Kids In response to supposed criticism that Sour Patch Kids aren’t that sour, the Mondelēz International-owned candy brand announced in a passive-aggressive post on Instagram that it was rebranding to “Patch Kids.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sour Patch Kids (@sourpatchkids) Sumo Citrus The citrus brand said it’s introducing a miniature-sized snack called Nano Citrus—a seedless, easy-to-peel mandarin the size of a fingernail. Taylor Morrison Our pets deserve only the best, which is why home-building company Taylor Morrison is announcing ReTreats, a line of custom-built pet homes designed to provide pets with a luxurious, personalized and comfortable living space. Options include single-family and multi-family dog and cat households and luxury amenities. Tic Tac x Dr Pepper Tic Tac said it’s introducing Dr Pepper flavored Tic Tac mints shaped like Dr Pepper cans, to blend the sweet, spicy and fruity notes of cherry, cola and cinnamon in a tiny mint. WestJet The airline is giving travelers an opportunity to flex their vacation on a bigger stage than just social media posts. The Canadian carrier is announcing a program whereby Canadians and influencers can share their vacation pics on digital billboards across Canada by selecting “Vacation Flex” at the time of their booking on the website. Whisker The pet tech brand and maker of the Litter-Robot is playing a prank on customers who order a Litter-Robot on April 1. Those orders will come with a Cat Pù/No. 2 candle in their package, which promises a primal, litter box-inspired scent. The catch is that it actually smells like roses, nodding to how Litter-Robot eliminates odors. The brand is also offering an actual $80 discount on Litter-Robot bundles. Yahoo Yahoo is bringing grassroots innovation to your fingertips—literally—with the new Yahoo Agricultural Interface, a grass-covered keyboard that allows you to “touch grass” without needing to log off. Recent news: Yahoo names a new CMO Enter the free 2025 Young Creatives Contest here

April Fools’ Day 2025—See all the best brand pranks from Asda to Yahoo

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