2011 April Fool’s Day newspaper ads from BMW, Krispy Kreme, Artline, Ikea and Boca Lupo.
BMW, Krispy Kreme, Artline, Ikea, KFC and Boca Lupo ran April Fool’s Day topical newspaper advertisements, which added humour to their brand personality and increased brand awareness.
Artline, a serial April Fool’s Day prankster, launched the futuristic “Mighty Twitter 140” pen that tweets as the pen writes. This ad, which ran in metropolitan and national newspapers, follows on from previous years’ gags such as the Memory Stick pen that remembers everything you write (2010) and the Micro-chipped pen that tracks the pen’s disappearance when someone “borrows” it from the owner (2009).
BMW masqueraded as the Australian Bureau of Motorways, an organisation issuing a recall of custom number plates that aren't “‘sick’, ‘hot’, ‘bad’ nor possessing any kind of ‘ness’”.
This newspaper ad, that closely resembled government communication, gave little clue of the advertiser behind the mischief (the only hint was in the organisation’s name, ABMW). Readers were prompted to visit a website to find out if they were affected by the recall and were greeted with a stylish YouTube video promoting the BMW 1 Series M Coupe.
Ikea were responsible for the "Hundstol" doggy high chair, complete with a hole for the dog's tail and two inset bowls on the tray for water and food. Remaining true to the brand’s advertising style in newspapers, the headline pun read "Bone Appetit."
The prank extended on their website, where consumers were met with product information and a video interview with the designer of the canine-friendly piece of furniture. Only a few hours into launch, the campaign received 1028 “likes” on Facebook.
This advertisement ran in metropolitan newspapers.
Energy Drink Boca Lupo used April Fool’s Day to spread exposure of their brand. Running a full-page press ad in a Sydney metropolitan newspaper, the advertiser satirised the much-hyped erection dysfunction nasal sprays by releasing their own “world exclusive” energy-inhaling vapour spray. As the newspaper ad claimed, the spray delivered “faster acting and longer lasting energy”.
Again the website revealed the joke and gave consumers a chance to get a special gift. This campaign received 951 Facebook “likes” shortly after launching.
KFC's April Fool’s Day joke was a complete reversal of their brand new Double Burger, which replaced bread with chicken. In contrast, their Sans Fillet Burger replaced the chicken fillet with bread. Advertised in Sydney and Melbourne commuter press, the Sans Fillet Burger features “even more secret recipe from The Colonel with no herbs and no spices” and is the perfect choice for those in the “mood for a little less chicken".
Finally, Krispy Kreme ran an employment ad too good to be true - $110k package for a Senior Doughnut Hole Puncher. The right applicant must be comfortable working with both “glazed and assorted varieties”. Readers who were interested in applying were directed to a website where they were informed of the prank and given a special April Fool’s Day voucher.
This advertisement, styled like a typical recruitment ad, ran in the early general news section of a Sydney metropolitan newspaper.
Download our calendar, featuring key dates for 2011 if you’d like to produce a topical newspaper ad for your own brand: Topical Events & Activity Calendar 2011.
Learn more about the effectiveness of topical ads by downloading qualitative research from the Newspaper Marketing Agency (UK), which shows how topical newspaper advertising deepens engagement and offers advertisers increased opportunities for better targeting. Go to Topical Ads & Maximum Impact.
April 2011
