Every April 1st, brands wear their comedy wigs, try to be the Chandler Bing of marketing, and put their best foot forward in executing April Fool pranks. Suddenly, the toothpaste brand is launching chewable teeth, a travel app is offering trips to Atlantis, and your regular chaiwallah is promising drone-delivered cutting chai.
But here’s the thing: these “jokes” are something you should ignore at your own risk.
What you see, and brands call an “April Fools’ prank,” is, in reality, a prototype without the budget—a creative thought before its time. A sure time needs to be addressed differently. It’s a soft seeding of a ridiculously insane idea. For example, when a burger brand says it’s introducing perfumes that smell like grilled patties, give it five years, and it’s on shelves next to Chanel No.5.
Remember the absurd 007 gadgets? Exploding pens, invisible cars, and watches that shot lasers. We all laughed and then casually watched those ideas turn into real-life tech ten years later. So when a food delivery app announces teleportation delivery as a joke, maybe it’s time to invest in teleport-proof doors. Or maybe that is something for April Fool’s Day in 2030, or maybe I am understating the pace of technology.
So, what about mankind, one of its kind, AI-powered, guided, and monitored dotted condoms? The answer to the unasked question is, why not? and a statement that there is nothing that stops its development. So is the thought of Beer-flavoured syrup, Dyson Airbrow, ZEPTO comeback snacks, or the Underwater Mall.
April Fools is not the day brands go crazy—it’s the one day they tell the truth in a language we dismiss: satire.
In the past, jokes have led to pet cameras with treat dispensers, music for dogs, pet tech wearables, auto-pilot cards, drone deliveries, Cardboard virtual reality sets, 15 GB free data space, wearables like smart shoes with fitness trackers, pressure sensors, and Bluetooth have been realised. So don’t laugh too hard the next time your favourite brand announces edible sneakers. You might be chewing on Air Jordans by 2030. Or maybe there are startup ideas hidden in these creatively led April Fool pranks.
ADD-ON
Here is a story about the brand Cheery Blossom, in which I was the victim of an April Fool’s prank.
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