The creatives at Duggal Visual Solutions find joy in funny April Fool’s Day pranks. According to historians, we’re not alone. The first April Fool’s Day joke may date all the way back to 1582!
Now, April Fool’s Day pranks are so common that major brands and artists routinely join the fun. We rounded up some of our all-time favorite pranks below.
1. BMW Rain-Deflecting Car
BMW realized the value of a good April Fool’s Day joke decades before most brands. In the early 80s, the car company started running spoof April Fool’s Day ads every spring.
Their first ad was for 1983’s “Rain-Deflecting Open Top Car.” BMW promised that the car was equipped with special technology that would keep raindrops away from the open sunroof. The newspaper ad advised people who wanted more information to talk to "Miss April Wurst.”
2. BBC Spaghetti Tree
In 1957, the BBC proved that you don’t need fancy technology or Photoshop tricks to create a masterful visual prank. The network aired a story from Switzerland that showed a family hard at work harvesting pasta from their spaghetti tree. The narrator claimed that it was a good harvest in part because the “spaghetti weevil” had disappeared.
At Duggal, we understand the power of illusion. That’s why we enjoy the BBC’s spaghetti tree.
3. UFO in London
Billionaire founder Richard Branson demonstrated his love for April Fool’s Day in 1989 when he orchestrated a prank in London.
Originally, Branson planned to fly a hot air balloon disguised as a UFO into London’s Hyde Park on April 1. However, unpredictable winds led to an early landing in a field on March 31. When police approached the “UFO,” Branson’s companion emerged clad in a silver suit.
4. The Taco Liberty Bell
In 1996, Taco Bell spread an April Fool’s Day rumor that they purchased the Liberty Bell and were renaming it to “The Taco Liberty Bell.” To get the message across, the company created full-page ads that were printed in several magazines.
5. Bigfoot Spotting
Yellowstone National Park played an April Fool’s Day prank in 2015 by posting a Bigfoot selfie on its Facebook page. We adore this prank because it shows that you don’t need to do something big to spread the holiday spirit.
The National Park Service posts a tongue-in-cheek or satirical photo every April Fool’s Day.
Stay Engaged With Duggal Visual Solutions
As you can see, we like to have some fun, and whistle while we work! To get in on the fun follow us on Instagram or subscribe to our YouTube channel.
We wish you a happy April Fools Day, and can’t wait to see what a brand might come up with this year!
