The Weirdest Brand Stunts of April Fools’ Day 2025
The origins of April Fools’ Day are mysterious, and historians haven’t been able to pinpoint exactly how the annual celebration of hoaxes began. But these days, it’s a bona-fide marketing tradition.
With numerous brands getting in on the joke each April 1, the name of the game is to grab consumer attention with weird, funny, and sometimes gross stunts. ADWEEK rounds up this year’s most unusual April Fools’ Day pranks from brands.
Olipop and Hidden Valley Ranch
Prebiotic soda brand Olipop has partnered with Hidden Valley Ranch for a limited-edition “Ranch Lovers Pack,” including soda flavors like the classic salad dressing and Garlic Ranch. While the products themselves are fake, the two brands sent creators real Olipop cans wrapped in the Hidden Valley Ranch branding to create buzz online.
Duolingo and Carnival Cruise Line
Duolingo is a prank master—remember when it faked the death of its mascot Duo last month? Now, the language-learning app has teamed up with cruise line Carnival to offer the trip of a lifetime: a five-year global voyage at sea, complete with full language immersion, cultural exploration, and an “unreasonable amount of shrimp.” If cruisers don’t keep up with their language lessons—during each of the 1,826 days on the ship—“the owl will deny you the knowledge of eternal peace,” according to the video’s narration.
If five years sounds like a long time to be at sea, don’t worry—you could just opt for the free month of Super Duolingo, special offers on a shorter Carnival cruise, or a piece of the Duolingo World Cruise merch.
Yahoo
