The ads of April Fools’ Day 2018
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April Fools’ means a day for brands to be a little less serious.
Another year brings another wave of brands jumping on the April Fools’ bandwagon. We’ve seen companies take today as an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the consumer many times before. Making spoof announcements and releasing fake products has become such an expectation on 1 April, that it is probably unwise for companies to make genuine press releases on the day.
Stripping away the big-business-image once a year hardly has the impact it did in the past, particularly with the advent of brands employing social media managers to make snappy retorts on twitter and engage in meme spreading.
In 2018, the joke is well and truly up, and brands know that consumers aren’t likely to take these ads seriously. April Fools’ is slowly becoming another Super Bowl day for advertisers, as brands employ Hollywood actors and spend big budgets to win the most personable brand.
All the same, there are an overwhelming number of brands trying to bait the media into buying into their exposure trap, and some of them will work.
Here’s just a few of 2018’s funny brand offerings.
Sodastream
Sodastream enlisted heavy-hitters Israeli reality star Reza Farahan and Game of Thrones’ The Mountain to explain its new product, ‘SodaSoak’. Bringing the rejuvenating wonders of carbonated water to the bathtub.
MeBank
To be honest, the Marketing team actually fell for this one – when we received a MeBank debit card made of cardboard in the mail, Ben Ice asked, “I wonder if there’s any money on it?”
Chegg
Chegg – an online textbook rental company – introduces the Osmosis Pillow. Simply placing a textbook underneath the pillow will now filter the information straight into your brain. Those late nights studying just got a lot more restful.
BBC and ITV
The BBC and ITV’s Britbox will now be offering real time translations from British to American english. Now you too can enjoy classic British TV shows such as Doctor Who in plain American!
23andme
You can now purchase a Lexus personalised to the very fibre of your being, courtesy of 23andme. Offering vehicles tailored to the individual via DNA testing, a Genetic Select Nexus is customised to suit your ‘oversized head’ with a butterfly headrest, or protect your ‘sensitive skin’ with window tinting, and turns on at the simple lick of a steering wheel.
Carl’s Jr
Finally, Carl’s Jr is paying homage to a critically acclaimed director by naming small burgers after him. Charming.
In honor of Steven Spielberg’s #ReadyPlayerOne, we’re changing the name of our Charbroiled Sliders to #SpielBurgers. Spielberg hasn’t signed off yet, but we assume he’s cool with it. pic.twitter.com/bdpRH0s8fo
— Carl’s Jr. (@CarlsJr) March 26, 2018
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