This is one of the possible explanations for April 1 as a day of pranks. The practice is likely much older, perhaps on different dates, but it remains a tradition. Everyone participates; your family, the media, and many April Fools' pranks come from companies. Here are a few of the best from around the world, and why this is such a marketing cannon.
The Best April Fools' Pranks by Companies
Although they have become somewhat less popular in recent years, especially due to fake news, we still see many companies that are not averse to a joke. These are the best we could find.
Taco Bell Buys the Liberty Bell
One of the first April Fools' pranks by companies dates back to the 1990s. Taco Bell announced in 1996 through full-page ads that it had bought the Liberty Bell, an important part of American revolutionary history, and renamed it. The joke worked because it was absurd but didn't seem entirely impossible at a time when commercial sponsorship was popping up everywhere.
Burger King's Left-Handed Whopper
Burger King went wild in 1998 with the Left-Handed Whopper: a Whopper where the toppings were supposedly rotated 180 degrees for left-handed customers. The idea was nonsensical, but just credible enough to get people to bite. According to TIME, customers actually tried to order the burger afterward. That's exactly the power of a good April Fools' stunt: a few seconds of doubt is often enough.
Google Tulip
Google demonstrated in 2019 how strong an April Fools' prank becomes when it seamlessly aligns with your brand. In the official blog post, the company presented "Google Tulip", a system that would allow you to talk to tulips via Google Home. The joke worked because Google packaged it as a technological innovation, complete with references to the Netherlands, Wageningen University & Research, and "Tulipish" as a language. It is precisely that serious packaging that makes such a stunt shareable.
HEMA's Tompouce-Deodorant
Closer to home, HEMA is a strong example. The department store came up with tompouce-deodorant: a typical product joke that was fully presented in its own style. It was shared widely. This immediately shows why such jokes work: they feel like a logical extension of the brand, even though almost everyone knows it's not real.
A few years later, Albert Heijn stole this tactic with the Eau de Croissant. This campaign, created with AI, logically resonated slightly less than its predecessor. Later last year, Lidl in the US did follow through with a giveaway for this scent. Now it's your turn again, Albert.
Picnic and the Hyperloop Delivery Service
Picnic took a smarter and more strategic approach with a "Hyperloop delivery service". With the prank, they tapped into the current events surrounding Hyperloop and Elon Musk. This made the stunt not only funny but also relevant to an audience that already associates innovation and speed with modern delivery.
Coolblue and Coolblue Buiten
Coolblue never misses the chance to pull an April Fools' prank. Every year it's a matter of watching what they come up with, and in recent years we've seen "Coolblue Buiten", or a package-friendly delivery service. In both cases, the same principle applies: the idea is close to reality and fits well within the out-of-the-box style of Coolblue.
IKEA Helps You Achieve Your "Dream Body"
IKEA appeared in that same overview with an April Fools' prank about building your dream body. This works because it uses a well-known IKEA association (building, assembling, improving) and translates it into something entirely different. Such brand jokes are often stronger than standalone puns because they directly stem from how people already know the brand.
The Charm of April Fools' Pranks by Companies
The first reason is simple: humor lowers the barrier to interaction. People share a joke faster than a regular advertisement, which increases organic reach. MT/Sprout summarizes this succinctly: those who make people laugh associate a good feeling with their brand and often receive free publicity in return.
The second reason is that April 1 is a rare moment when brands can communicate less slickly and more humanly. This makes a company more likable, provided the joke isn't too harsh or forced. According to MT/Sprout, a good April Fools' prank should therefore be bold but not over the top; once a stunt becomes sensitive or uncomfortable, attention turns against you.
The third reason is strategic relevance. The strongest jokes are not random but tap into current events, brand associations, or recognizable frustrations. Picnic used the Hyperloop hype for this; HEMA translated an icon from its own assortment into a fake product; Google came up with a technological absurdity that was precisely in its own domain. That’s why one joke sticks and another disappears immediately.
Finally, April 1 is also a testing ground. If people react en masse to a fake product, it says something about the appeal of the concept. Case in point: Lidl's takeover of Albert Heijn's joke. Not every joke needs to be a precursor to a real product, but it gives marketers immediate feedback on tone of voice, brand fit, and shareability.
Not Just Silly
The best April Fools' pranks by companies are rarely just silly. They are well-timed, brand-consistent, and designed to evoke doubt, recognition, and shareability. Taco Bell, Burger King, and Google show how such a joke can culturally resonate; HEMA, Picnic, Coolblue, Albert Heijn, and IKEA demonstrate that Dutch brands can master the same game just as well. Those who approach it smartly use April 1 not as a standalone gimmick but as a cheap, effective attention grabber with real marketing value.
