April Fools’ Day is an international tradition celebrated by pulling pranks, a day where everyone can be a jokester and everyone shares in good-natured laughs.
And, you know, making fun of your pals because they think Cup O’Noodle gaming headphones are an actual thing. While real-life pranks are still very much a part of the day, the internet has turned corporate April Fool’s jokes into an annual tradition complete with fake new product releases and announcements judged more on creativity and seeing just how many victims get suckered into believing it.
Here are some of the best April Fool’s Day pranks we saw this year.
Shutterstock Store
Shutterstock pranked everyone by announcing a physical warehouse of stock media. They used the opportunity to promote their library of millions of images, videos, and music. They also relied on that same library to do the heavy joke lifting and created their slick video for brick-and-mortar.
Popchip “Just the Chip”
Popchip got spicy with their April Fools’ product “Just the Chip,” a single chip packaged in a condom-like wrapper. The puns don’t end with the name, as the copy reads “each box includes an individually wrapped Popchip in three seductive flavors: tangy bbq, cheddar & sour cream, and buffalo ranch. It’s the ultimate threesome!”
Oh, and don’t forget “ridged for your pleasure.”
Nissin HyperX Cup Mix In
Nissin is back in 2019 with “HyperX Cup Mix In,” a gaming headset shaped like two Cup Noodles and a fork for the microphone. HyperX features patent-pending Noodlette, which Nissin promises “delivers the silky soft caress of ramen noodles to keep you gaming comfortably during those marathon gaming sessions.”
Red Lobster Licorice Straw
Plastic straws have garnered a lot of attention lately, and many restaurants are doing away with them. Red Lobster is using the issue to make their April Fools’ joke tweet announcing that they are replacing all plastic straws with red licorice.
While a joke, it’s not a terrible idea, though we couldn’t help but bristle at the idea of a Cheddar Bay Biscuit straw.
Banksy Toaster
Think Geek brings their A-game every April 1st, and this year’s prank is no exception. This year’s collection includes a toaster that burns Banksy prints onto your bread (doesn’t shred your breakfast though) and a Dungeons & Dragons inspired delivery package disguised as a shapeshifting mimic to protect your orders from porch pirates.
Could’ve used some more glitter though.
Vegan Spam
Unbeknownst to Hormel, purveyors of canned pork deliciousness known as Spam, design agency Robot Food aimed their April Fools’ sights on herbivores with a slick fake campaign promoting a new Vegan Spam. This prank falls on the “if this wasn’t April Fool’s Day I think it’s real” spectrum, with slick tins designed to be on-brand.
Jagerbong
Jagermeister tweeted out a set that includes a bottle of the syrupy, licorice digestif, a grinder, bong stem, lighter, eye drops, and a hacky sack, encouraging upcycling once you’ve finished the alcohol in the bottle. The brand is no stranger to April Fool’s pranks as last year’s Jager creme egg prank was so popular they went ahead and produced it for real.
