Ah, April Fools’ Day - I love these campaigns as it's one of the only day where you can try something 100% new, and it's rewarded every time.
It’s the perfect excuse to get playful with your audience, create engagement, and share your goofy side.
I love this as I'm doing standup comedy and improv apart of Panoramata since a few years now, and when you learn to write jokes, you want to apply this to your business...
And April Fool's is one of the best day to do this!
But here’s the catch: it should be funny.
At least, a bit funny. It's ok if it's not the greatest campaign ever, as long as your audience laugh or smile.
Don't try something obvious, bland, or too clever. It's your occasion to bring some fun on the table.
Lucky for you, today we're reviewing some best practices on how to make sure your April Fools’ content will get a laugh, not groans 😉
Get Your Brand in the Mood
Before anything, ask yourself:
- Does this joke actually fit my brand?
- Will my audience get it, or will it only scratch their heads?
- Could this joke backfire on us?
- What’s the point of my content? Is it to give fun, engagement, awareness, or all three?
April Fools’ isn’t about selling the most products, it’s about engagement, awareness, and building a personality for your brand. You should treat it as a playful experiment, not an opportunity to sell.
Best practices for April Fools'
Make It Fun, Not Confusing
The perfect prank puts a smile on your audience’s face, not frustrates or makes them feel upset.
This example by Sundays is perfect. The subject line is "Sundays is not Saturdays For Dogs": simple, works on aplay of words, hurts no one, and it leads to a 35% promo code.
Use What You Have, and Partner with your Audience
This company, xTool, sells engraving tools. Their April Fools' is simple: they just reverting back their classic engraving video, and they partnered with a few UGC creators to joke on "we now sell also an ERASE tool!"
Stay True to Your Brand
Your prank should feel natural, not forced. If your brand is sleek and luxury-focused then a subtle humor works better than a wild stunt. If you’re quirky and playful then you should opt for a ridiculous way.
You should consider that your audience should think, “Of course they’d do this!”
Recess is doing this perfectly, every single year, by giving life to their cans and making them do something silly every year:
Engage Your Audience
Every prank should invite interaction. We can ask followers what features they would want to see on the fake product, or we can also create a fake pool where they can cast their votes for the next “ridiculous inventions”. Getting our audience involved is the best way to get engagement.
Furthermore, brands can also encourage people to participate in playful campaigns.
There's no better way to do this than organizing giveaways, or organizing a contest on your social media accounts. Belgian Boys does this well, by organizing a contest so their audience can share their best jokes altogether.
Time It Perfectly
Remember that April Fools’ jokes work best on April 1st, not a day early or a day late. If you email your prank too soon, it loses impact, it will also cause confusion. Social posts, emails, and landing pages should all hit in sync.
Here's a classic (and this fake product can help with timing too): a fake product to poach eggs, by Our Place.
Make It Shareable
In today’s world, social media is the perfect platform to execute April Fool’s pranks. So, shareable images, landing pages, or videos will turn your joke into a viral moment. The more people it reaches, the more laughter happens, and that is the real ROI.
Ballsy uses this by asking questions I guess they sometimes receive (or as product requests?) to engage their audience :
Ideas That Actually Work
Having a hard time coming up with ideas? Here are some fun ways to prank your audience:
- Fake products or services: Introduce something silly that fits your niche. Make it wild but kind of believable, bonus points if it hints at a real thing you sell. For example, the brand Bearaby joked last April 1 about launching “the incubator”, a weighted blanket for chickens to grow their eggs bigger and stronger. This is clearly a prank but it makes people discover their product “The Naplette”, a weighted blanket for humans with a design of fried eggs. This prank makes people laugh while also highlighting its actual product.
- Absurd competitions: Announce something nuts like "Win a lifetime supply of invisible coffee mugs!" It's impossible, super silly, and also hilarious.
- Cause-based humor: Make jokes that also teach or raise awareness.
- Crazy Discounts or Giveaways: Offer a silly deal, like “80% off everything!” but make it impossible to actually get. Although, make sure to add a tiny real prize or consolation so no one feels tricked or upset. It’s a mix of humor and generosity, which makes your audience laugh and feel good about your brand.
In addition, you should also analyze the past campaigns of other brands to be able to create the best content for April fools. Platforms like Panoramata can be used here as it allows marketers to explore different marketing creatives that other companies use across their multiple channels. You can also check their search ads, email campaigns, social media posts, and other promotional content to see how they executed their ideas for April Fools.
Looking at these examples will help you identify trends, understand what kind of humor works, and see how brands present their jokes without offending or confusing their audience. It can also give you inspiration for your own campaign while helping you to avoid repetitive ideas that are already overused. Lastly, it is a great way to analyze competitors and learn how they use creativity to capture the attention of the audience during seasonal moments like April Fools’ Day.
Anti April-Fools' Campaigns
There are 3 kind of Anti April-Fools Campaigns you can run.
The first one is the "believe me here, even if we're April 1st". Very useful if you actually, at some point, planned a launch for April 1st (or if you have an out of the box new product you're launching!)
The second one is "your April Fools' flopped? Well, we have other gift ideas you could take to make it up for it".
The third one is "we're no joke" :)
Avoid the Traps
Even the best prank can backfire if you’re careless. Watch out for:
- Serious Deception: Fake discounts or sales can annoy customers instead of entertaining them.
- Offense: Avoid politics, health, or sensitive topics.
- Ambiguity: Always reveal the joke eventually, don’t leave your audience thinking about it for days.
- Customer Experience Issues: Don’t break checkout or email functionality as frustration is not funny.
- Forced Humor: If your brand isn’t naturally funny, stick to a light-hearted celebration instead of forcing it to be.
Reveal and Reward
The trick to a perfect prank? Timing the reveal. Lead your audience just far enough to get the laugh, then reveal it before confusion sets in, because when you reveal your jokes very late, then it will turn into stress, or worse, bad PR. Moreover, always remember to thank your audience for joining the fun. Even if someone wasn’t thrilled, a little post-prank love goes a long way.
Make It Memorable
The best April Fools’ jokes aren’t just funny, they stick with people. Make sure your prank:
- Surprises and delights – Catch them off guard in a fun way.
- Shows your brand personality – Let your audience see what makes your brand unique.
- Get people involved – Ask your audience to join in or react.
- Is clever, not mean – Funny without hurting anyone.
- Leave a good feeling – Your audience should laugh and remember you positively.
When April Fools’ is done the right way, it’s more than just a joke, it’s a smart move that gets people talking, sharing, and coming back for more.
So, are you ready to make your brand to conquer April Fools’ day? Start coming up with ideas now. Plan ahead, know your audience, and have fun!
