Top 10 April Fools Day Hoaxes

April Fools is the day we should actively suppress our urge to become an up-and-coming comedian, but many of us can't help ourselves. Hoopla is celebrating brands that have made April Fools even funnier, and seeing as we have over 6000 of your favorite brands as partners - we thought we show them a little love too. Maybe you'll be inspired to save big and get cash back on your next comedic idea. Just sign up today - it's quick, easy and free. No joke.

When did April Fools Day start?

The origin of the day is uncertain, but there are various theories about its beginnings. Some believe that it dates back to 1582 when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. This left many people celebrating the New Year on April 1 instead of the end of March, so others referred to them as "April Fools." Others believe that it has its roots in Ancient Rome when Hilaria, a festival honoring the Roman god of mirth and laughter, was celebrated around the same time. 

April Fools Day has been celebrated in the United States since at least the mid-1800s. The day appears to have begun as an extension of European traditions, like those found in France and Great Britain.

Top 10 Great Brand Hoaxes for April Fools Day.

10. BBC

On April Fools Day 1957, the BBC reported a "Spaghetti Tree" had been found in the Swiss countryside. 

The prank, which showed a family harvesting spaghetti noodles off of trees, tricked an estimated 8 million people who called into the radio show wanting to know how they could plant their own spaghetti tree.

If you want to get spaghetti for a prank or better yet... to eat (!) you can get the best promo codes and cash back from Goldbelly on Hoopla. They have your favorite spaghetti and meatballs, spaghetti sauce and spaghetti donuts straight from Brooklyn, NY!

9. Amazon

In 2018, Amazon’s Prime Video service announced the launch of “Amazon Petlexa”, a voice-activated device that allowed pet owners to communicate with their animals.

The device generated a lot of buzz and the company even released a video showcasing the technology in action, but it turns out it was all an April Fools Day prank. But what is definitely not a prank are all the amazing deals from Amazon you can find on Hoopla. And if you want to show your furry friend some love, you can find big cash back and promo codes on all your favorite brands on Hoopla with Chewy, BarkBox and more!

8. McDonald's

McDonald’s had some fun with their customers on April Fools Day in 2019 by announcing the launch of the “McPickle Burger”.

The prank featured a photo of a burger with several layers of pickles, and it was so convincing that people showed up to the restaurant and ordered. They were disappointed, but then just ate the best french fries in the world and it made everything better. If you're looking to recreate a McPickle and make it a real meal deal, get the most cash back on pickles from Pavilions or Safeway. 

7. Virgin

In 2013, Virgin Atlantic Airlines teased its customers with a campaign for "Glass-bottom planes."

The new airplane promised to give passengers the opportunity to observe things from a completely different perspective. Just avoid going to the bathroom and you should be fine. If we want to travel the more traditional way, but still save big cash back on your vacations and business travel, Hoopla has great deals on hotels like Marriott Hotels & Resorts and Hilton Hotels & Resorts.

6. Microsoft

Microsoft takes itself very seriously. The company banned April Fools Day pranks in 2019. The CEO warned employees in an internal letter: “It’s that time of year when tech companies try to show their creativity with April Fools Day stunts. Sometimes the outcomes are amusing and sometimes they’re not. Either way, data tells us these stunts have limited positive impact and can actually result in unwanted news cycles.”

And back then they didn't even have AI to write the email, they thought of this all on their own. Not too shabby. Speaking of not too shabby, don't forget to get the most cash back and best deals the next time you want to shop at the Microsoft Store or need Microsoft 365. It's the smartest way to shop, I mean until AI figures out how to shop and save for you.

5. Sony

The Playstation Flow April Fools Day prank was a humorous promotion released on April 1, 2017 by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The idea behind the prank was to promote their virtual reality collaboration between PlayStation and aquatics with a new product called “Playstation Flow”.

The ad for Playstation Flow showed gamers swimming in pools and wearing a special swimsuit equipped with PlayStation’s new virtual reality technology. It suggested that the product would allow gamers to play games while immersed in a pool, enjoying not only graphics and sound but also feeling water resistance as they swam. The ad also stated that Playstation Flow was “the ultimate way to stay cool during the summer.” This was of course a joke, as Playstation Flow does not exist and was only released for the April Fools Day prank.

If you love playing video games and saving money, then Hoopla is the perfect wingman. You can save on your favorite game brands like Ubisoft and GameStop.

4. JetBlue

In 2013, JetBlue took a sincere approach to April Fools Day. They offered a free flight that day to anyone with the first name April. Who was behind this plan? Someone named April of course.

 "April 1st isn't always fun and games for everyone," said April Dinwoodie, JetBlue's Director of Media Relations. "For many of us, it represents an annual tradition of mockery. We're thrilled to take a moment and do something for those customers that might not look forward to starting their month with a day of teasing."

Now, that's a fun and delightful idea that stands out and made lots of people smile. If you want to be True Blue and truly smart airfare shopper, then you should partner with Hoopla on all your JetBlue purchases.

3. Omaha Steaks

The Meat Sweats are a well documented phenomenon. It's your body's natural way of telling you to chill out on the beef. Omaha Steaks decided they had the perfect solution: The Meat Sweats Perspirant.

Hoopla understands what it means to feel fresh when it comes to food because we have a fresh new way to save the most money on the internet for all your Food & Beverage purchases. Make sure you visit out category page for the latest promo codes, savings and cash back deals on your favorite foods.

2. Fruit of the Loom

The Fruit of the Loom logo is an iconic brand logo, made up of a blue apple, orange orange and purple grape, all contained in a red quatrefoil.

The Fruit of the Loom logo has been used since 1851 and is instantly recognizable to most people. Rather inexplicably, many people remember the Fruit of the Loom logo as having a cornucopia. This phenomenon is part of what is known as the Mandela Effect, which refers to collective false memories that a large number of people believe and share. On April 1st 2022, Fruit of Loom poked fun at this effect with an out-of-character tweet. Of course, if you had Fruit of the Loom underwear on you could always just revisit the tag to see for sure. That would instantly remind you the correct logo AND that you got the most cash back and best savings on Fruit of the Loom with Hoopla.

And #1 on the Top 10 April Fools Day Brand Pranks is...

1. Sephora

In April 2015, Sephora claimed a breakthrough in ‘lazy girl beauty’. No need to put on makeup anymore with Sephora's magical face mask that could be applied in 4 easy steps.

Perfectly plausible, easy to understand and even a borderline great idea. But yes, all fake. The kind of prank that gets your hopes up and then happily dances on your dreams with lipstick. Now you get to turn around and play a joke on Sephora by getting cash back on all your purchases when you shop with Hoopla. Because the only thing that is better than a great prank is looking great while you're pranking.

Have a safe, fun and unserious April Fools Day... and don't ever be a shopping fool again... sign up today for FREE at Hoopla for the best coupon codes, savings and cash back you'll find anywhere on the internet. You'll always have the last laugh ;)