Thanks to social media, marketing is becoming more and more reactive by the day, with customers now being able to interact with their favourite brands in real-time. In recent years, this has led companies to create increasingly imaginative digital marketing campaigns, and this is particularly prevalent when it comes to April Fools’ Day.
But what goes into making the perfect April Fools’ post? Here are some of our favourite April Fools’ campaigns from 2021 to get you inspired for next year!
McDonald’s
This year, McDonald’s announced that they were launching a “Three Fries portion”, for those friends who try to steal a few of yours after saying they don’t want any. This joke was completely relevant to their brand and products, encouraging people who fell for it to head to their app and maybe place an order once they were there. They then followed it up with a real half-price promotion on their medium fries, no doubt helping to increase sales for the day.
Fry thievery will no longer be tolerated. Introducing a new Three Fries portion for your mates that “just want a few”.
— McDonald's UK (@McDonaldsUK) March 31, 2021
Available now on the My McDonald’s App. pic.twitter.com/MWanacyqvo
Yorkshire Wildlife Park
Many businesses are currently preparing to reopen their doors in a few weeks’ time, so a bit of extra publicity is just what they need. The Yorkshire Wildlife Park decided to have a bit of fun regarding the current restrictions and announced that they were making use of their animal walkthroughs as outdoor office space to help with social distancing. Complete with a blog article, pictures of their adorable wallabies, and a park ranger in a zorbing bubble, there couldn’t have been a more enjoyable way for the park to promote itself.
We went a little 'wild' with social distancing??
— Yorkshire Wildlife Park (@YorkshireWP) April 1, 2021
By utilising animal walkthroughs, we are able to provide staff with outdoor office spaces?
Read more about the new measures put in place here:https://t.co/WryhNvJLea #Aprilfirst pic.twitter.com/zHeSmMG2Xi
Duolingo
This popular language-learning app fooled some people into thinking they were releasing a new range of language learning loo rolls, complete with a dedicated landing page and product reviews. This extra bit of effort meant people were clicking through to visit their website and being directed to the real language courses they offer. And a lot of people said that it would be something they would actually buy!
Language learning is hard... so we made it soft.
— Duolingo (@duolingo) April 1, 2021
It's time to turn your bathroom into a classroom with our latest innovation: Duolingo Roll – toilet paper (yes, toilet paper) that teaches you phrases in new languages! ??https://t.co/IwQke0z0gT #DuolingoRoll pic.twitter.com/ilVLtx5Cbl
RSPCA
The RSPCA posted a photo of what they claimed to be the first dodo seen since 1693, asking people to donate to help the bird. Once you clicked the link, it was revealed to be a baby pigeon instead, however it helped to highlight the important work they do at this time of year to help baby birds across the country, with people still being encouraged to donate to the charity.
Creating your own April Fools’ campaigns
When done well like the examples above, April Fools’ post can be great for increasing your brand awareness and driving sales from existing and new customers, but among the hits, there are always a few misses. Here are some tips to help you avoid controversy when thinking up your own April Fools’ post ideas:
Keep things casual – April Fools’ Day is about having a bit of fun, so you don’t want to end up taking it too seriously. If you share something that is a bit too believable, you could just end up causing confusion and losing customer trust, rather than having a laugh.
Keep it relevant – There are some great ideas out there to take inspiration from, but what works for one industry won’t necessarily work for yours. Make sure you’re not just copying other people’s campaigns, but are putting your own twist on things to suit your brand and audience.
Avoid controversial topics – Making a joke at someone else’s expense is never a good idea. Topics such as religion or political beliefs are incredibly important to a lot of people, so using them as a punchline could offend a large percentage of your audience.
Don’t force it – While April Fools’ Day can be a marketing goldmine for some businesses, if you can’t think of anything fun and relevant that naturally fits with your brand image, it may be best to post nothing at all. Think about what your customers have come to expect from you – if your marketing is usually very serious, a joke post may be jarring in comparison and not what your audience is following you for.
