April Fools’ Day Marketing Ideas: 4 Brilliant Ideas [Updated 2023]

April Fools’ Day has become a fun day for many companies over the years. From physical changes of products to spoof announcements and social media gags, pranks have taken many forms. In this article, we will present to you our favorite April Fools’ Day marketing ideas.

Fun April Fools’ Day Marketing Ideas

1. Announce a fake product or service

This is perhaps one of the most classic ideas out there, but it is definitely foolproof (pun intended). Introducing a ridiculous product will always generate confusion and laughs among your customers.

One of the most iconic campaigns of this kind was the very funny 2013 prank from Google, called Google Nose. If you are unfamiliar with it or want to jog your memory, watch it below:

2. Add new absurd product features

You don’t have to think of a whole new product to participate in a prank. You can also just invent a silly new feature of the existing product or service you are selling, and advertise it to your customers.

Let’s say you are selling jewelry, you can advertise your crystals as Bluetooth rechargeable, so clients don’t have to charge them in the sun or moonlight. There is no limit to how silly your creativity can go!

3. Create a game

To bring up another brilliant example from Google, we have to talk about the Where’s Waldo game. Similar to the previous idea, this adds a layer of gamification and interactivity with your audience.

While you cannot pull this without a bit of tech-savviness, it is worth looking into creating a ridiculous game that your audience can enjoy. These games work especially well since they are shareable, and it is very likely to reach many people outside of your current bubble through a prank like this.

4. Be as weird as you can on social media

You cannot think of anything, or don’t have the time to come up with an elaborate plan like our previous ideas? We’ve got you! Just make sure to be funny and ridiculous, even if it’s just through your communication on social media.

For example, take a look at this 2016 KFC social media post. If you can come up with a funny, harmless, and clever joke, you can create a post like this in just a few seconds (especially if you use our social media posts templates).

Make sure to keep this in mind:

1. Don’t take it too far…

The point of April Fools’ Day is to be silly and have fun. When you overstep the mark, you will ultimately damage your brand and ruin everything you have worked so hard for, such as losing the loyalty and trust of your clients.

In addition, never give anyone a reason to consider filing a lawsuit (for example, don’t advertise a sale and then charge the full price to your customers). 

2. …but don’t give up too soon either

If your prank is harmless and you know it won’t do any damage, then make sure to commit to it for as long as you can. Do not reveal the truth too soon – for you to fully profit from the day, you must fool people for as long as you possibly can.

Jokes are not that funny when you are aware that they are not real, so it is inevitable that an early reveal or an obvious prank won’t be powerful enough to gather the full attention that this day could provide.

3. Know what your audience wants

At the end of the day, you know your audience best. Perhaps none of the ideas we mentioned would even make sense for your brand, so take the liberty to think of funny jokes your customers would find entertaining.

Additionally, use a helpful mind mapping tool to brainstorm all the preferences and nuances of your ideal client profile and come up with more personalized ideas.

Always make sure the level of the prank is appropriate to the kind of audience you have (perhaps skip on the pranks if you are, for instance, in a medical clinic).

If done well, a prank can bring online engagement and generate buzz around your brand, and also stentgem the relationship with your customers by adding a layer of friendliness to your otherwise transcational relationship.

Will your brand participate in the fun this year?