April Fools' Day: Here's How Brands Pranked Consumers On April 1

Every year on April 1, people have a gala time pranking their friends, families and loved ones. Brands are no different. This year, companies across various sectors unleashed their creativity through hilarious campaigns featuring fake products.

Here's a look at a few brand campaigns:

Amazon Prime Video introduced a 'Jaggu Dada Mode', a faux feature that allows users to watch their favourite shows and movies in the iconic vocabulary of Jackie Shroff.

Clothing brand Pagal Awwrat presented their newest launch of invisible T-shirts - a la Mr India style

Emirates announced the construction of Dubai’s newest supertall tower which will begin on February 31, 2025.

Elon Musk posted on social media platform X that he has joined Disney as Chief DEI Officer and he can't wait to work with Bob Iger and Kathleen Kennedy.

Ola Electric in collaboration with Ola Cabs and Krutrim unveiled the 'Ola Solo', an autonomous electric two-wheeler vehicle incorporating advanced AI technology. Many people debated whether it was real or an April Fools joke.

Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal said that it is not just an April Fools joke. Aggarwal said that while the video was meant to provide a laugh to people, the technology behind it is something Ola has been working on and has prototyped.

Advertising or promoting firm-initiated amusing media are more likely than non-humourous posts to encourage positive comments, likes and re-posts. When brands participate in April Fools' Day events, they generate greater levels of engagement, humour and fun, because consumers don't associate these organisations with pranks.

These "professionally developed" pranks are created by advertising agencies who often plan much before executing them. These advertisements aim to increase an individual's perception of brand "friendliness", and generate greater engagement and memorability, leading to a stronger willingness to buy – even when the product or announcement they are advertising is fake.

While not every prank landed perfectly, April Fools' Day in India proved once again that brands understand the power of humour and audience engagement. The next time you scroll through social media on April 1 keep an eye out – you never know what wacky product you might encounter!