In the Age of Fake News, How Do Brands Win at April Fools?

As you’re tucking into your roast lamb and gorging on chocolate eggs this Sunday, a topic of conversation will likely be the news.  Or rather, fake news. 

That’s because April Fools this year falls on Easter Sunday.  We can therefore expect the usual barrage of fake stories, which are usually explained the next day. 

Last year, I fell for the ‘news’ that George Osborne was bringing out his new fashion line, Georgio.  I trusted The Guardian as a news source and given the surprise move to the Evening Standard, could it be plausible that George was adding another string to his business bow?  What an April Fool I was!

But it got me thinking about the relevance of April Fools in the age of fake news.  We know from the 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer that fifty-nine percent of respondents are unsure what they see in the media is true and what isn't.  So, should brands be leveraging April Fools when there is so much media distrust? 

Ironically, permission lies in brand authenticity.  Take for example Krispy Kreme whose brand purpose is to spread joy to its loyal fans.  Last year, we helped the brand win at April Fools by announcing a spoof name change in the UK to avoid Brits misspelling it. 

Through the brand’s newly appointed Chief Doughnut Officer, Krispy Kreme revealed it would be known as ‘Krispy Cream’.  Social groundswell followed with debate and discussion among its fans, which was then picked up by media generating blanket coverage in the UK and overseas.

Getting fans talking is what got Google’s tie up with Pokemon trending back on the 1^st April 2014.  Google produced an advert for a Nintendo Pokémon game that involved Google Maps – effectively the precursor to Pokemon Go.  It’s still one of my favourite examples of how choosing an affiliate who shares your brand values can drive ‘news’ and create a cultural movement.

Another one of my favourite April Fools example comes from an unlikely candidate to pull a prank: the Ministry of Defence.  Yet, last year, it announced via British Forces News that it was considering issuing all soldiers with new Urban Pattern clothing so that they could better camouflage within a city’s fabric – Brick, Stone or Pebble Dash. 

As with George’s new fashion line, the Krispy Kreme, Google and Ministry of Defence stories simply got people talking. These examples were intrinsically woven into what was happening culturally last year hence why they were spread organically through social chatter and media articles.  The timing happened to be around Spring but given the cheeky nature of each story, it felt natural to leverage April Fools.  And it paid off (although George’s fashion career came to an abrupt end).

In the age of fake news, do I believe brands can win at April Fools if done in the most authentic way?  Yes.  I’ll let you ponder it over a Crème egg this Easter Sunday…