Back in the good old days, April 1 was a time when you tried to pull a fast one over on your nearest and dearest, if you remembered the date.
But now April Fools’ Day has become a free-for-all for the biggest brands out there to play pranks on us, rendering the internet a no-go zone for 24 hours.
If you are brave enough to scroll on social media today you’ll have to weed your way through fake announcements and joke products, trying to work out what’s real and what’s not. To be honest, it’s kind of exhausting.
A number of silly hoaxes have already been shared online today, from the news that Love Island will be swapping Majorca for Canvey Island in Essex, to claims that a rooftop bar is opening on top of Big Ben.
Here are some of the best jokes from big names…
Cadbury Creme Egg On The Goo
Cadbury got in early on the jokes, with a video claiming they would be launching portable sachets of the goo inside a Creme Egg. The bizarre clip shows someone squeezing the goo all over a portion of chips, which caused a bit of a stir in the comments on Instagram.
They captioned the post writing: ‘Move over boring condiments, Creme Egg On The Goo is here.’
While some were horrified by the idea of putting it on fries, some people were keen for Cadbury to make it a reality, with @dazzmetalstorm saying: ‘That would be a good idea for an ice cream topping.’
And @clarecrazydoglady agreed it would be great ‘over chocolate cake.’
‘This needs to become real, this needs to become real, this needs to become real,’ begged @wayne.mcgarry89.
Heinz Dubai Beanz
By now we’ll have all come across the viral Dubai chocolate bar, which features pistachio and kadayif pastry.
It’s proved so popular that brands are starting to put their own spin on it, with Aldi recently unveiling a Dubai chocolate ice cream.
But Heinz’s joke offering might put people off, as they’ve shared an image of a tin of Dubai Beanz, which boast ‘premium pistachio flavour’.
Writing on social media, they described the baked beans as ‘luxury in a tin’, and many people jumped on the joke, with @aldiuk replying: ‘You’re meant to be silly, not suggesting great ideas.’ While @honestburgers said: ‘This is a fever dream.’
BrewDog‘s Hot Beer
Brits love to crack open a cold beer as soon as the sun comes out, but a lot of the time here it’s pretty grey. To solve this problem, BrewDog’s April 1 joke has seen them unveil a limited-edition larger to help people warm up on chilly days.
The 3.4% ABV, Hot Beer, is said to use microwave-orientated smart-tech to heat and expertly prepared brew to a blisteringly hot, flavour-mulching temperature. Yum!
But the joke doesn’t end there, BrewDog claims this ‘miracle’ creation has been facilitated by the addition of ‘mega-microwaves’ in its bars across the country – high power units big enough to fit huge jugs of beer. The beer is decanted straight from the keg to jug and popped in the microwave. From there it’s just a matter of enduring some excruciating small talk at the bar until you hear that ‘ping’.
Lauren Carrol, Chief Operating Officer at BrewDog, commented: ‘Ever since we launched Cold Beer last summer it really felt like we needed something to add some balance. So we thought: what’s not cold? And then it fell into place from there.”
‘I mean, obviously it’s pretty nondescript to drink, but there’s no doubt that it’s hot. And actually we really think the joyful ‘ping’ could really catch on in bars. It’s just one of those sounds that lifts the spirits – especially if there’s a full pint of Hot Beer to follow. And a big thank you to our bar procurement teams for sorting the microwaves – frankly, I’m surprised Robert Dyas has anything left.’
Bird’s Eye Potato Waffholes
Potato Waffles are a dinner time staple in the UK, but for years many have wondered where do the potato holes go?
Well, Bird’s Eye has now solved the mystery, as they’ve unveiled packs of Potato Waffholes, which are described as ‘bite-sized bliss’.
Alex Townsend, Potato Waffles Brand Manager at Birds Eye, commented: ‘We’ve heard the questions, we’ve seen the conspiracy theories, and we knew it was time to reveal the truth. Those little holes don’t just vanish, they’ve been secretly waiting for their moment to be the centre of attention, and it’s now time to fill the gap in the market – literally. After years of keeping this under wraps, we’re thrilled to finally celebrate the launch of the new Birds Eye Potato Waffholes’
Terry’s Chocolate Mint Toothpaste
While some think mint is a flavour best reserved for toothpaste, it seems Terry’s agrees, if their April 1 post is anything to go by.
The brand shared a snap of a tube of toothpaste that’s chocolate mint flavour, saying: ‘Start and end your day the right way with Terry’s NEW chocolate mint toothpaste.
‘It will satisfy your cravings whilst leaving you with that minty fresh feeling – mundane teeth brushing is now a delight!’
Hundreds of people have commented on the post, and many want the product to become a reality, claiming it would be ‘so good’, ‘dangerous’ and they’d ‘actually use it’.
Asda’s Rear Pocket Dress Code
Earlier this year, Asda brought back its iconic Rollback campaign, as well as the pocket tap ‘Asda Price’. And for April Fools’ Day, the supermarket is using this as part of the joke.
The retailer has announced the introduction of a Rear Pocket Dress Code, telling shoppers they have to have a visible rear pocket to be able to enter their local Asda store.
But don’t worry about being turned away, as those who don’t have pockets on their outfit will be given a free stick-on pocket at the door, which can be applied anywhere as long as it’s visible to staff.
Waitrose Easter Egg Restriction
Waitrose has tailored its April Fool’s joke to the parents, claiming to have added an age restriction to all of the own-brand Easter Eggs, so they can only be purchased by those over 18.
They shared a snap of Easter Eggs on the shelf, with a sign saying: ‘NO ID, NO EASTER EGG.’ And according to the prank, at the till customers will be met with a prompt and asked for ID if they don’t look over 18.
Maddy Wilson, Own Brand Director at Waitrose, said: ‘This year’s Easter range was developed with grown-ups in mind and as we get closer to the big day and stock becomes limited, we have decided it would only be right to give priority to the adults. With Speckled Eggs hand made by a third generation chocolatier, a Chocolate Croissant which blends creamy chocolate with feuilletine wafer and caramel pieces and Italian Nougat made to a family recipe passed down three generations, it is much too good for children anyway!’
Aldi Scotland launches canned tap water
Aldi Scotland is poking fun at the demand for low alcohol products of late, after unveiling its newest drink launch – 100% canned Scottish tap water.
Known as Taps Aff, the product will provide wellness-obsessed Scots with a thirst-quenching alternative packed with Scottish minerals.
Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director, Aldi Scotland, said: ‘We know Scotland has the purest tap water in the world, and with buying trends indicating a move towards low-alcohol drinks, this felt like a great opportunity to go with the flow and turn on the tap for a new Scottish innovation.
‘When talking of something truly extraordinary you often hear people say – ‘if you could only bottle it’ – well we have! Taps Aff is exactly what is says on the tin: pure, refreshing Scottish tap water.
‘Taps Aff launches on April 1, and we are confident that every drop will leave customers fully hydrated.’
easyJet’s snail ice cream
Budget airline easyJet is celebrating the opening of its new base at London Southend Airport in Essex, with a new range of ice cream flavours inspired by some of their holiday destinations.
Flavours include snail (inspired by escargot from France), Spicy Tagine (Moroccan spices), Cacio e Pepe (Italy), Sangria and Chocolate (Spain) and Pastel de Nata (Portugal).
Garry Wilson, easyJet holidays CEO commented: ‘Southend is synonymous with ice-cream, and what better way to celebrate our newest base than with something that for many also represents the joy of holidays, by offering customers a literal taste of their next trip!
‘With flights and thousands of package holidays now available to 20 destinations from London Southend, this will not only enable us to serve many more customers, providing value and more choice, but also supports critical connectivity and jobs for the UK, as we get set for our biggest ever summer.’
Interrail adds Greenland to the Interrail Pass Network
Interrail shared a social post claiming that Greenland is joining the Interrail Pass network.
They wrote: ‘We welcome Greenland to our network, strengthening the bonds of our European community. Greenland joins 33 other countries across Europe that travellers can explore with an Interrail Pass.’
People on Twitter were quick to point out the obvious flaw with this announcement, saying: ‘Greenland doesn’t have any trains.’
However, this one looks the most believable of the lot so far, so some people have fallen for it. Sneaky Interrail…
Krispy Kreme axing Original Glazed Doughnuts
Krispy Kreme fans may have had a meltdown if they fell for the doughnut chain’s April Fools’ Day post.
That’s because they claimed they were axing the OG doughnut flavour – the glazed ring.
In a statement posted online from the company’s managing director, they said: ’87 years on, we never thought we’d be writing this… To make room for the return of our fan-favourite Glazed Raspberry, we will be officially discontinuing our Original Glazed doughnut.
‘It hasn’t been an easy decision, our team have explored every option to keep it on shelves. But with so many delicious doughnuts in the range, we simply can’t keep them all.
‘In the coming weeks, Original Glazed will no longer be available in shops, cabinets, or Hot Light Shops. We’re sorry for any disappointment this may cause.’
Walkers Salt & Vinegar Crisp packets
Last week Walkers caused a stir after sharing a cryptic post on social media, suggesting they’d be switching the colour of Salt & Vinegar crisp packets.
The packets have always been green, while the brand’s Cheese & Onion crisps are blue. However, most other crisp companies have these colours the opposite way around.
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Walkers shared a snap showing Salt & Vinegar crisps in a blue packet, and Cheese & Onion in green. And simply wrote: ‘That’s better.’
The image was shared on a billboard in London, and a few meme accounts on Instagram shared what looked to be packets of crisps with the ‘right’ colours, making people believe they’d be sold soon.
But Walkers has since confirmed it was just an April Fools’ Day prank.
‘Never did, never will,’ they wrote on Instagram.
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