Our Best & Worst April Fool's Campaigns (Brand Hits & Misses)

April Fool’s Day is a golden opportunity for brands to get creative, generate buzz, and showcase their personality. But not all campaigns land the way they were intended. Some go viral for the right reasons: being clever, funny, and perfectly aligned with brand identity. Others backfire, leaving audiences confused, frustrated, or just plain unimpressed.

With audiences becoming increasingly savvy and sceptical, pulling off a successful April Fool’s stunt is harder than ever. A misstep can feel forced, off-brand, or even alienate potential customers.

So, what makes an April Fool’s campaign a hit or a miss? Our team takes a look at some of the most memorable examples, breaking down what worked and what flopped.

Men proudly holding their ‘catch of the day’ on their dating profiles has been an inside joke amongst dating app users for years.

Suggesting that the app would ban all fish pictures is a fantastic stunt which is not only simple, low-cost and bang on Tinder’s brand identity – but it’s also super sharable. You can imagine how often it was shared in groupchats.

It taps into a common dread women have when swiping on dating apps, which even two years on continues to be a relatable pain point for singles.

Saskia, Account Executive

 

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A post shared by Tinder (@tinder)

Lipton’s attempt at an early April Fool’s prank, involving the supposed discontinuation of its popular peach iced tea, backfired significantly.

The stunt’s primary flaw lay in its execution. The peach iced tea is the company’s most popular flavour so the decision to discontinue it didn’t make any sense to customers.

The announcement was also retracted mere hours after it was made and dubbed an ‘early April Fool’s’. This diluted the playful nature of an April Fool’s prank, instead making it appear as a poorly timed marketing ploy – which it was.

Jade, Senior Account Manager

 

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A post shared by Lipton Ice Tea (@liptonicetea)

April Fool’s Day stunts are hard to pull off. They either need to be genuinely funny or tap into an audience reality in order to resonate. Tinder’s ‘height fishing’ stunt in April 2019 ticks both of these boxes. The dating app announced it would be offering users a ‘verified’ sticker if they confirmed their height. All users needed to do was upload a full-length snap next to “any commercial building” before its “state-of-the-art” technology calculated whether you were being honest about your height. It tapped into a pain point many singles understood, coined a catchy new phrase, and was witty and relevant too. A big tick from me!

Beth, Associate Director

 

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Duolingo’s mastery of language is not limited to its app. Its April Fool’s campaign – Duolingo Roll – was a perfect example of a product release that goes beyond the ‘shock factor’ and neatly ties into what the brand stands for.

Identifying that one of the biggest barriers to learning language is finding the time, the brand released limited edition toilet roll to help turn the bathroom into the classroom. Its campaign was a hit, landing fantastic coverage across news sites and on socials.

As a result, the brand generated 250,000 site visits from 173 countries, with a 3.5% uplift in new users – a definite hit in our books!

Adem, Account Manager

In 2018, Coca-Cola UK announced three new flavours—Avocado, Sourdough, and Charcoal—aimed at the “Instagram generation.” But instead of being fun, it felt like a forced attempt to cash in on the millennial-bashing trend that had taken off in 2016.

The Marketing Manager claimed the ‘avocado army’ would clear the shelves, but the joke didn’t land. It risked alienating their target audience and only managed 169 likes on Twitter—hardly viral.

If a brand is going to poke fun at a trend, it needs to feel inclusive, not like it’s laughing at the people it’s trying to sell to.

Sasha, Account Executive

Calling all Insta-loving millennials! Today we’re excited to introduce three gram worthy flavours… Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Avocado, Sourdough and Charcoal. Ready to give them a try? #CocaColaBrunchGoals #LifeGoals #Brunchclub #FoodGoals #Drinkspiration #BrunchSquad #AvoSquad pic.twitter.com/eEsOj578Vn

— Coca-Cola GB (@CocaCola_GB) April 1, 2018

Aldi sparked a frenzy on social media when it announced its new dating show inspired by the ever-popular Love Island. After gaining over 8k likes on the announcement post, the retailer backtracked, much to the nation’s dismay.

Aldi has since released a tongue-in-cheek apology, which says: “although we give off the vibe that we love court cases, they are incredibly costly and going forward with this plan would not be “within our best interest”. Shame!

This stunt’s messaging ties in with the cheekiness of the concept. Plus, Aldi cleverly allowed the announcement to gain traction before shutting it down- an effective tactic that makes the consumer feel like they’ve lost out on something real.

Beth, Junior Account Executive

@aldiuk Want to find love on the aisles this summer? Checkout the market? And secure your Specialguy? It’s time to put all your eggs in our basket. 🥚 Applications are now open for the first ever season of #LoveAisleland ♬ original sound – Aldi UK

For April Fool’s Day back in 2016, Google launched a special version of the Gmail send button – sending emails with a GIF of a minion dropping a mic. In principle, it’s a fun, harmless idea. But in reality? A disaster.

The button was placed right next to the actual send button. Meaning people were accidentally sending their emails with minion mic drops attached. Interview replies, customer feedback, even funeral planning. It’s almost been 10 years, but it’s still just as much of a miss today.

Ben, SEO & Insights Specialist

When I think of April Fool’s, I always fly back to 2008, when the BBC released a short film that ‘captured penguins flying for the first time’, claiming that long and cold Antarctic winters had forced the penguins to adapt and learn to fly.

The campaign captured the attention of the nation, and tricked The Telegraph and Mirror into publishing stories about the film. The Daily Telegraph even stated that the BBC had ‘remarkable footage of penguins flying as part of its new natural history series’.

It is clever, well thought out, and fits with the BBC’s serious nature. For some reason it sticks in my mind!

David, Account Director

In 2023, Thorpe Park announced the launch of “The Lost Souls Pop-Up,” a second-hand vintage footwear store selling shoes that had been flung off rollercoaster riders mid-loop, claiming to have over 2,000 pairs up for grabs.

While it’s a fun nod to the sheer chaos of their rides, the thought of actually buying someone else’s abandoned trainers? Not exactly appealing. The hygiene questions alone made this one a bit of a dud.

Some stunts make you wish they were real – this wasn’t one of them.

Rachel, Junior Account Executive

April Fool’s Day stunts are hard to pull off. They either need to be genuinely funny or tap into an audience reality in order to resonate. I’d argue that Cadbury’s ‘Straighty Waighty’ campaign achieved neither of these things.

Last year, when the confectionary brand announced it was replacing the much-loved Curly Wurly with a new straight chocolate bar, the ‘Straighty Waighty’, the stunt was met with a lukewarm response from fans, and understandably so in my opinion.

It was a product no one asked for, or needed, and it wasn’t particularly witty either.

Beth, Associate Director

 

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April Fool’s campaigns can be a powerful PR tool, but only when executed with care. The best campaigns tap into relatable experiences, lean into humour without being offensive, and feel like a natural extension of the brand. When done right, they can generate genuine engagement and positive media coverage.

On the other hand, the worst stunts feel lazy, confusing, or, worse, annoying. A great idea is not enough. The execution has to be spot on. If a brand is going to take the plunge, they need to ask themselves: does this feel authentic, shareable, and genuinely funny? If not, it might be best to sit April Fool’s Day out.

Looking for a creative campaign expert? We have 30 years’ experience delivering unforgettable PR campaigns for brands across the UK and beyond. Get in touch to find out more at susannah@energypr.co.uk.