Tech companies have fooled millions with pranks, with many that almost seemed real.
Love it or loathe it, April Fools is the only day of the year apart from Halloween when you can give your colleague the blue screensaver of death, and believe me – finding the opportune moment isn’t easy.
Quite often, gags for the sake of gags become an unnecessary hassle because nowadays, few people rejoice at being inconvenienced. And that’s down, in part, to big tech.
Prior to the digital age, April Fools Day was a shared cultural event during which people would go all out and try to trick others. The most glorious attempt was the BBC’s spaghetti tree hoax in 1957.
However, tech still has its moments of glory, and these escapades have come from some big players.
Google Gnome (2017)
Wallace and Gromit eerily used a similar gnome-bot in their recent movie Vengeance Most Foul.
But in 2017, Google primed this hoax with a playful take on integrating AI and home improvements, a few years before AI was truly in the spotlight.
The Google gnome was supposedly an outdoor assistant that would help you determine which way the wind was blowing or whether to turn on your garden hose.
The video placed on the company’s Twitter account and the Google store gets increasingly absurd as it unfolds, making for an entertaining watch and a semi-belief that this device could actually be plausible. (will link to video)
Tesla’s “Teslaquila” (2018)
Elon Musk tweeted a photo of himself on this playful day holding a sleek, lightning-shaped bottle of Tequila, aligning with the CEO’s unconventional approach.
Initially intended as a joke, the publicity stunt gained massive traction, leading to an actual release, in limited edition form of 1000 bottles in November 2020.
The prank went viral, creating an enormous swell in media coverage and effectively cementing Musk’s transition from entrepreneur to cult-like celebrity.
By reinforcing brand identity and using scarcity as a channel, sales climbed and Tesla created a lasting cultural impact.
The limited edition whiskey currently fetches for over $2000 on eBay.
Lego’s Find My Brick app (2019) / Smartbrick (2021)
I can imagine these gags being believed by millions.
Lego announced on its social media the idea that you could hold your phone over your collection and it would show you the colour of the next brick you need.
Even better was the smart brick video that convinced fans that the bricks could miraculously clear themselves out of the way.
And, just when you thought you were going to step on them, which is pretty painful, I must say, as I remember from my Lego Pirate Island days.
Duolingo’s push notification (2019)
The moment you've all been d̶r̶e̶a̶d̶i̶n̶g̶ waiting for...
undefined Duolingo (@duolingo) April 1, 2019
Introducing Duolingo Push! We're taking notifications out of your phone and into the real world. Yup: Duo the Owl will literally show up to remind you to practice so you never miss a lesson.
👉 https://t.co/UB8ld0pyiY pic.twitter.com/kHEQv2Winc
The language learning app conjured up an outlandish service in which the mascot, Duo the Owl, would physically show up and remind you to persevere if you were slacking off.
Different options were supposedly available, with the “encouraging Duo” helping one guy with pumping iron in the gym, the “disappointed Duo” staring into the abyss as one lady boarded a double-decker bus, and then a “passive-aggressive Duo.”
Imagine the fiasco of learners deliberately forgetting to do their daily language obligations, and the imagined possibilities are endless.
Tinder’s fish-free dating pics (2023)
This was another credible announcement, as dating apps often integrate and experiment with quirky features. This time on the company's newsletter/blog – Tinder announced that it was to remove any photographs with users posing with caught fish.
What added credibility to the joke was “a recent Tinder study revealed 92% of singles reported “getting the ick” after coming across a potential match’s fish pic.”
As long as it’s not posing next to sedated tigers, it’s good to go from me.
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