April Fools Day 2024: top stunts and jokes from brands

The day when practical jokes, pranks and hoaxes are OK to partake in, April 1 is prime territory for brands to experiment with unconventional marketing strategies that can generate buzz and spark conversations across social media and beyond.

This year, brands such as Gymbox and PepsiCo have taken the opportunity to demonstrate their wit and cheeky tone of voice. Here are this year’s posts that stood out…

Milk…? Wotsit for?

Move over deep-fried Mars bars and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches because there’s a new crazy culinary combination making waves: milk and potato chips. And not just any chips, but the latest sensation – the hot kind.

The newest snack brand from PepsiCo, ‘Extra Flamin’ Hot,’ is available across the Walkers Max, Doritos and Wotsits Crunchy range and has been given ‘spicy’ reviews by some snack lovers for whom the heat has proved too much.

To douse rising temperatures, the brand bosses have given the green light to sell milk miniatures alongside the crisps.

Hitting shelves today, the snacks will be on sale for “as long it takes for the British taste buds to mature to the spicy new flavor,” said the head of brand innovation, Dalila FopsRoy.

Gymbox launches Gymbark

Want to go to the gym but don’t want to leave your dog at home? Introducing Gymbarx, a dog-only fitness class for your canine friend to go to while you pump some iron.

Sadly, the news of this groundbreaking initiative comes as stats have shown that 54% of pet dogs are overweight or obese.

Thankfully, Gymbarx is providing an opportunity for man’s best friend to get in a serious workout, focusing on agility, endurance and explosive power. Dogs of all shapes and sizes will move from station to station as the intensity kicks up a gear each round.

The class begins with yoga and downward dog stretching before the effort ramps up and dogs participate in fence jumps, ‘furpees’ and leash pulls. The class ends with tennis ball track sprints and a brutal “hair of the dog” HIIT finisher.

Kebabs for babies

If there’s one thing babies don’t get enough of, it’s kebabs. The UK’s largest kebab house, Kebhouze, has just unveiled ‘My First Chicken Doner Kebab’ to rectify this issue.

Available from April 1, the snack blends tender chicken kebab, sweet caramelized onions, crisp lettuce and a creamy lemon and black pepper mayonnaise into an ultra-convenient and nutritious jar.

Not just an extremely tasty treat, the ‘Kebaby Food’ purée is a nutritional powerhouse packed with essential vitamins, minerals and protein to provide sustained energy for growing babies. Each jar contains a healthy helping of vitamins B6 and C, calcium and high in protein to keep little tummies fuller for longer between meals.

Oh crumbs!

In some major foodie news, Italian food brand Crosta & Mollica has unveiled a major rebrand as it announces a name refresh to Crust & Crumb, the direct English translation of Crosta & Mollica.

The name change follows the brand’s disappointment with consumers’ continuous tongue-twisting attempts to pronounce its Italian name. Instead, consumers in the UK commonly refer to the brand as ‘the one with the stripy packaging.’

Crosta & Mollica has had no choice but to simplify matters and embrace a new name that rolls off the public’s tongue with ease, alleviating Brits’ common hesitation around unfamiliar pronunciations and puzzled looks across the dining table.

Fingerprint unlocking wine bottle

Faustino, the largest vineyard owner in Rioja, is proud to announce the launch of an exclusive limited edition 60th anniversary vintage.

In a world first, The Diamond Reserva bottle will launch today with patented fingerprint technology that means that only those born in 1964 can uncork this wine of excellence.