unCOVered presents our pick of the funniest and most viral April Fools’ pranks online. Oh, let us make it clear now: this blog post is not an April Fools’ prank. All the events really did happen!
#1. The Twitter Helmet
Last year, Twitter released an announcement about their brand new wearable device: The Twitter helmet. With this helmet, users could send out a tweet through a simple “pecking” head motion. This news attracted the attention of tech-savvy people across the world … before it turned out to be a big joke.
#2. Penguins can fly – according to BBC
In this prank documentary in 2008, the BBC ‘discovered’ a colony of flying penguins on King George Island. The prank was created to promote the BBC’s iPlayer, which was going live around April Fools’ Day. The scene of flying penguins is fabulous!!
#3. Google Translation for animals
In 2010 Google’s joke may have given animal lovers hope for the possibility of being able to talk to their pets. Sadly, it was a big joke. But who knows? Someday this idea could turn into reality! Nothing is impossible…
#4. Water on Mars
On the First of April 2005, Nasa published a joke announcement about the discovery of water on Mars. Three years later the joke became a reality, although many people were understandably skeptical at first.
#5. The best funeral ever
On April Fools 2009, Pranksters Improv Everwhere posted their latest mission, called The Best Funeral Ever. Their supposed aim was to make a funeral for someone with few relatives and fewer friends into a glorious sendoff. Many who first encountered this took it as a kind gesture, but then they watched the video. It soon became clear that the mourners did not appreciate the interference of strangers. Many readers cried foul and said that Improv had finally crossed the line. They soon had to point out the date and explain that the mourners in the video were actors.
The real target of the prank was the entire internet audience:
#6. National Express triple-decker bus
National Express announced it was adding triple-decker buses to its service in the West Midlands. Michael Takkin, Head of Product Development, noted that the company was experiencing a rising number of passengers: “I needed to come up with an innovative way to ensure that these new bus commuters had a comfortable journey to work. I was watching Harry Potter with the kids, saw the Knight Bus and thought Eureka!” Because of the extra height of the buses, National Express engineers had even designed a spinning gyroscope system to keep them perfectly upright and ensure their stability.
#7. Cheeteau Perfume
Cheetos, a brand of cheese-flavored, puffed cornmeal snack made by Frito-Lay, announced the launch of a perfume — Cheeteau. Taglines described it as “a wafting whiff of pungent desire,” “dangerously cheesy,” and “Unpasteurized. Unapologetic. Unavoidable.”
#8. Scandinavian Earthlines
The Norwegian Board of Tourism ran an ad in Swedish newspapers debuting a new underground super-train, Scandinavian Earthlines. It would connect Sweden and Norway and enable the trip from Stockholm to Lofoten to be made in under an hour. Readers were invited to call a phone number for more information. Those who phoned up were informed that the super-train wasn’t actually real, but were given a pitch inviting them to visit Norway anyway.
#9. Portable zip codes
National Public Radio’s news bulletin, All Things Considered, reported that the U.S. Post Office was introducing a new portable zip codes program. The scheme would allow individuals to take their zip code with them when they moved.
They were inspired by a recent FCC ruling that allowed people to retain the same phone number wherever they moved or whatever service they switched to.
#10. YouTube Rickrolls the Internet
The Rickrolling prank involves tricking a person into clicking a link that leads them to a clip of Rick Astley singing “Never Gonna Give You Up.” For instance, a person might think they’re clicking a link to see a preview of a new movie, but instead Rick Astley appears on their screen, singing his 1987 hit single. The prank became hugely popular in late-2007 and for a while seemed almost ubiquitous online. Then, on 1 April 2008, YouTube took the joke to an entirely new level. The company redirected all the featured videos on its frontpage to Astley’s clip. It was, without a doubt, the most extensive Rickroll of all time. Due to the site’s huge audience, they had essentially Rickrolled the entire Internet!
