Funny April Fools’ Day pranks from global companies

Today is April Fools’ Day - the day where people deliberately pull pranks to entertain, annoy, or in some cases, infuriate others in their lives.  Individuals and companies alike have enacted their own April Fools’ campaigns in years past that have entertained some and angered others.

The ideas behind most April Fools’ pranks generally revolve around promotional gimmicks meant to save consumers money, or provide a great buying opportunity.  In some cases, there are even advertisements for exploratory vacations that are too good to be true.  Here are some examples of companies that have had fun with this day making thousands of people excited, only for them to later become deflated.

WestJet

This Canadian airline promoted April Fools’ offers over the past few years.  In one case, the airplane cabins would be filled with helium to lighten the planes and reduce the amount of fuel necessary to power the aircraft.  The airline said this would translate into lower travel rates for passengers.  Last year, the airline even promoted a child-free flight, in which travelers could request a plane without travelling children.

Redfin

This US real estate company promised interested home buyers the chance to buy property with two clicks of the mouse.  The 2-Click-Purchase meant there was no need to apply for a mortgage or secure any financing agreements.  After one click, a caption is displayed stating that a Redfin refund is donated to the Human Fund, a reference to the fake charity created by George Costanza on ‘Seinfeld.’  After the second click, another caption tells the ‘buyer’ that the 2-Click-Purchase is an April Fools’ joke, and there is no agreement to buy a home.

Abbey National

This British bank never followed through on its April Fools’ joke due to intervention from the Bank of England.  However, bank representatives later mentioned customers would be informed they could download and print their money at home instead of making the trip to a nearby bank machine.  Thankfully the Bank of England shot down what could have been a flood of counterfeit bills.

Virgin Volcanic

Richard Branson, the owner of Virgin Group, announced his company created a screw shaped vessel called the VVS1.  This pod would allow a group of travelers, including Branson, Tom Hanks, Seth Green, Barbara Kopple, and Will.i.am, to tunnel to the molten core of the Earth through an active volcano.  If successful, the VVS1 would become a vacation option for families.  This year, Virgin announced the world’s first glass-bottomed plane.

Google

Google creates a new April Fools’ campaign every year, usually to the amusement of readers.  Some past examples include job opportunities on the moon, a sports drink to make people think faster, and the Toilet Internet Service Provider (TiSP) – which as its name implies, relies on the toilet in a way that could go very, very wrong.  In 2013, Google unveiled a number of pranks, featuring the ability to incorporate scents into your searches with Google Nose.

Enjoy a laugh or two with the April Fools’ campaigns you encounter this year, but don’t get too excited over an offer that might be too good to be true. You can only find those kinds of offers on LowestRates.ca… Happy April Fools’ Day!