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April Fools’ Marketing: Still relevant or just fake bait?
Wander | April ’25
If we’re being honest most April Fools’ campaigns don’t land… Why? Because they’ve become predictable.
Fake product? Check.
Unbelievable announcement? Check.
Obvious joke with no long-term impact? Triple check.
But when used well, April Fools’ is still a powerful creative lever, not because you trick or fool people, but because you engage them in a moment of disruption. It’s a brief, culturally accepted opportunity for any brand to reveal the cheeky side to their personality and spark mass attention.
The campaigns that actually worked this year did three things:
- They felt on-brand. The tone and idea matched the brand’s values and audience expectations.
- They built believability. There was just enough truth to make people pause before scrolling.
- They triggered emotional response. Surprise, amusement, curiosity, something worth sharing or talking about.
April Fools’ is about fun. It starts with understanding your audience better than they understand themselves. If you tip the scale into douchebag… look, you’ve gone too far.
Some ideas that just hit right this year:
Doughnut Time’s VEGEMITE Doughnut
Doughnut Time dropped a VEGEMITE choc custard doughnut and yep, it was real. The savoury-sweet fever dream nobody asked for but everyone had an opinion on. Launched exclusively at Ampol Foodary for April 1st, it played on Aussie nostalgia and bold flavour chaos. If nothing else, it got people talking. Mission accomplished.
Birds Eye served up “Potato Waffholes”
Claiming to have finally found the missing bits from their iconic waffles. Mini, snackable and totally made up, the concept was bizarre enough to land. It’s the kind of harmless chaos that gets a smile, a scroll-stop and probably a few family group chat notifications… I think it’s either the believability or the nostalgia but I wanted this to be real so bad!
Dunkin’s “No Pranks, Just Perks” Free Coffee Giveaway
Dunkin’ took a no fluff approach by offering a genuine promotion: giving away a million free coffees on April 1, 2025. Rewards members could redeem any size hot or iced coffee or cold brew by entering the promo code “ThisIsNotAJoke” in the Dunkin’ app. A great way to put a stamp on a saturated day for marketing!
Now for the biggie! Wander x Louis Theroux
Last year, we posted that Louis Theroux was coming on our podcast. Look… It wasn’t true but it was real enough to work. And it popped off.
This year, we levelled up: we said he asked us to be on his podcast. The engagement went through the roof.
But here’s the frickin’ kicker: the BBC actually called to interview Clover about it.
This wasn’t luck. It was a calculated campaign:
- Believable enough to intrigue
- Cheeky enough to entertain
- Strong enough to reflect our brand personality
We weren’t just playing around. We were executing a moment that aligned with our tone, amplified brand visibility and inspired real conversations.
That’s what a great April Fools’ campaign can do: build relevance, spark industry chatter and leave people thinking “Wait, guys.. was that real?”
So What’s Next?!
We’re in Amsterdam 08-10 April!
We’re at SXSW London in June! Got a campaign that needs some personality to blow it up online, disruption, attention or chaos energy?
Let’s talk! welovewander.com/contact
