Top Brand and Tech Pranks of April Fools 2015

As a marketer and a tech geek, April Fools is my favorite day on the web each year. It started with tech companies launching fake products to spoof consumers and get in the news. Now it’s a worldwide phenomenon that tech companies and non-tech brands alike participate in each year. Being fascinated by the best in branding and tech, April Fools really gets me excited!

For April Fools 2015, so many brands are participating that it’s not always easy to find the best pranks. That’s where I come in! I’ve scoured the web to find the best in April Fools 2015 pranks, from new product launch videos to interactive games, even website redesigns. You can find the best right here, broken down by categories and trends that emerged this year.

Gaming Pranks for April Fools 2015

The Google Pacman Challenge

Google always tops my April Fools list and this year is no different. Not only does Google launch multiple April Fools pranks, but each one is crafted with intelligence and quality. You’ll see Google make the list several times. But, my favorite this year? The Google Maps Pacman Challenge!

Yes, that’s me playing Pacman on the streets of Back Bay in Boston. As a gamer, this was really a once in a lifetime experience. And, I’d like to thank Google for that!

You can play Pacman on any street of your choosing! Just go to Google Maps. Navigate to a map that has a fair number of streets in it. You need plenty of streets to give you more room to play, so a city would work best. Then, click on the blue/black Pacman button at the bottom left of the screen.

Get Started

CLUE! Game of Thrones Edition

I’m a Game of Thrones fangirl. I hear that music and I get wicked excited. For that reason, I fell in love with the video for Game of Thrones Clue, only to find out to my dismay that this was an April Fools prank by ThinkGeek.

ThinkGeek takes April Fools to the next level. When you click to purchase the product, you get a “We Pranked You” message. But the kicker is, you can vote at the bottom for which April Fools prank you want to become a reality. Now that’s what I like to see. Visit the product page here and vote for Game of Thrones Clue to be a reality!

Selfies

What’s up with the selfie this year? This trend is certainly growing. My dad even knows what a selfie is. Honda and Motorola definitely took the selfie to the next level with their April Fools 2015 ads.

Honda HR-V Selfie Edition

The Honda HR-V Selfie edition announced a new vehicle with 10 cameras around the car to take your photo in park. Funny idea, but even funnier in execution.

Motorola Selfie Stick

Motorola took the idea of the selfie stick, an attachment to your phone or camera to take photos of yourself, to a whole new level by applying true craftsmanship. This video is so serious and hipster, I can’t take it.

Pets! Pets! Pets!

Pets are a big April Fools trend this year. T Mobile, Rosetta Stone, and Hunter Boots all came out with pet themed April Fools ads.

T-Mobile

The award for best pet themed prank should definitely go to T Mobile for their Pets Unleashed video. Your pet is a member of your family. So, why not include them on your family share plan! For only $5 add a pet device. My favorite was the harness that held the phone in front of the dog for fetch.

Rosetta Stone

Want to speak to your dog? Try Rosetta Stone Dog and really learn their language. I actually wish this was real/possible. Then again, I’m a total dog lover.

Hunter Boots

Lastly, from Hunger Boots. I really wish this was real! My dog could totally use these for hiking.

Fitness First

Looking to get in shape? Check out some of the latest products to be introduced this April Fools day.

Virgin Trains Fitness Cars

Virgin announced that their new trains will feature fitness cars, with everything from straight tracks to bouldering walls. If they actually put bouldering walls in trains, I’d travel everywhere by train. Why can’t this be real!?

The Best of the Rest: April Fools 2015

Google As I mentioned before, Google takes April Fools to the next level every single year. This year was no different. In addition the Google Maps Pacman, they’ve got 2 others that really stand apart from the crowd.

Reverse your day with Com.Google – Going through an entire site redesign to reverse everything, Google launched https://com.google/. Visit the site to see Google literally in reverse. There’s not much more to say, other than it is awesome.

Smartbox by Google – A throwback to the days of physical mail, Google  has reinvented the mailbox with the Smartbox. They’ve included everything from smart folders to apps. Check it out in the video below:

Pizza Hut Pizza Beer What’s on tap at Pizza Hut? The Flavor of Now – a Pepperoni Pizza beer. This video combines the best of craft beer and pizza – two of my favorite things. I’m just not so sure about combining them.

Valspar Tartan Paint I have to say, I love the post put out by Valspar. They posted their new Tartain paint roller earlier today. Apparently some people thought it was real. This just makes me laugh.

Finally – The Product Launch That Seems Like a Prank But Isn’t

Ok, Amazon, you’ve got us. Yesterday, March 31st, Amazon launched the Amazon Dash button – “A simple way to order those things you always run out of.” The Dash button is a physical button you place around your home to reorder everyday goods, like laundry detergent, coffee, diapers, razors, etc. Press the button and the notification goes to your phone. You have a certain amount of time to cancel the order before it ships to your house. Could you imagine having 15 of these buttons around your house and pressing one each time you run out? This has epic April Fools 2015 prank written all over it. The kicker? It’s not a prank! Amazon claims they’ve actually launched this product. My bullshit meter is till peaked, so we’ll see. For now, check out the video: