Best 2014 April Fool’s Day pranks
Posted April 1, 2014 6:42 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The day is young but some of the world’s biggest companies have already got a head start on their 2014 April Fool’s Day pranks.
As the clock hit midnight in Australia and Japan, Google unveiled its latest job requirement: catch them all.
“Dozens of wild Pokémon have taken up residence on streets, amidst forests and atop mountains throughout Google Maps,” software engineer and “advanced Pokémon trainer” Tatsuo Nomura wrote in a blog post Monday. It’s your job to find and catch them all.”
The winner would claim the title of ultimate Pokémon Master and gain a job at Google.
Though the job opportunity might not be legit, Google has launched a real mini-game inside of its Maps apps to help you hone your inner Pokémon Master. If you’re ready for the challenge, grab the latest version of Google Maps for iPhone or Android, then tap the search bar and “press start” to begin your quest. The app features 150 hidden Pokémon and you have until April 2 to find them all.
Watch Google’s video below:
David Thomas, editor-in-chief of Marketing magazine, says that these entertaining pranks are a good way to keep a brand in the pubic eye and a way for companies to use social media to their advantage.
“Brands are getting better at telling their stories in general and the best place to do that is through conversations in social media. If you keep it fun and stay away from sales pitches, people keep talking about you and usually in a good way,” he explained. “In most cases, consumers are more likely to have a positive view of a brand if it’s funny.”
WestJet, meanwhile, unveiled a YouTube video explaining they are switching how they show their flight schedules from a.m. and p.m. to metric time.
Of course, there is no such thing as metric time.
The airline also released a new promo code that it swears is not a joke — type in “LOL12” at the website.
Watch the video below:
The TTC announced a new funding proposal: closing existing subway stations like Bessarion and Chester. The TTC will then turn the platforms into condos.
Watch the TTC video below:
One newspaper in England has a headline proclaiming the British government will ban selfies, while a British radio station announced that giraffe milk was about to go on sale.
Boston Pizza said that instead of delivering pizza, it would be delivering customers – picking them up and bringing them to their restaurants. The so-called ‘reverse delivery,’ Boston Pizza joked, was just in time for the NHL playoffs.
