DigitasLBi Celebrates the Selfie Stick for Motorola

DigitasLBi launched a digital April Fool’s Day spot for Motorola, supposedly introducing the “#MotoSelfieStick.”

The 90-second spot plays it straight, feigning seriousness with dramatic piano music and artisans talking about their craft and what the selfie stick really means. “A selfie stick is a branch of self-expression,” says a woodworker at the beginning of the spot. “To take such a raw form and craft it into one of the most practical and useful accessories around…it’s like when the sun turns the rain into a rainbow.”

The tongue-in-cheek spot never turns its back on the mock serious tone, which pokes fun at both the selfie stick and advertising cliches. Because of this, it may be the most successful of branded April Fool’s Day videos (although it also helps that we viewed it after the barrage of such efforts). It also appears to be one of the more popular, racking up almost 400,000 views over the last several days.

Credits:

Client: Motorola Mobility LLC

North America Social Media: Jenna Rice

Global Social Media: Barbara Liss

North America Public Relations: Dawn McKenzie

Sr. Brand Comm. Manager: Katie Cowan

 

Agency: DigitasLBi

VP Account Director: Kevin Babcock

Creative Director: Mark Czupryna

Sr. Social Media Strategist: Matt Wolk

Sr. Producer: Kristen Hartill

 

Production Company: Tool

Director: Shawn Z

Managing Director – Live Action / EP: Oliver Fuselier

Managing Director – Digital: Dustin Callif

Executive Producer Live Action: Lori Stonebraker

Producer: Patrick Malloy

 

Editorial Co.: BUTCHER

Editor: Teddy Gersten

Executive Producer: Rob Van

Bob Barker Returned to The Price Is Right in the Year's Most Charming April Fools' Surprise

Most of us were tired of April Fools’ hijinks before the day even arrived, but in addition to yesterday’s seemingly endless spree of high-profile pranks, there were a few real winners.

Chief among them, on TV at least, was Bob Barker’s return to The Price Is Right, which he retired from hosting in 2007 after more than 40 years. 

At 91, Barker’s obviously moving a bit slower these days, but he still has a singular warmth and ability to connect with both the crowd and his contestants. He hosted the show’s opening bid on Wednesday and a pricing game before handing the mic back to host Drew Carrey. 

Hat tip to Digg.



Butterfinger Bets a Million on Manny Pacquiao to Beat Floyd Mayweather

There’s going to be some heavyweight marketing around the May 2 welterweight title fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. And Butterfinger is jumping early into Pacquiao’s corner.

The Nestlé brand on Wednesday sent out an April Fools’ Day press release saying its Butterfinger Cups brand was betting a million on Pacquiao. Now, AdFreak confirms (as Pacquiao will do in a tweet shortly) that the bet is actually a million Butterfinger Cups. If Pacquiao emerges victorious on May 2, Butterfinger will offer 1 million of its peanut butter cups in a nationwide payout at ButterfingerCups.com.

The announcement kicks off a month-long “Get In Our Corner” campaign.

“We’re such fans of what Manny represents and love that he has such a great sense of humor to join us in our April Fools’ Day fun and launch the ‘Get In Our Corner’ campaign,” says Fabiola del Rio, Butterfinger brand manager. “We want fans to get in our corner with Manny and help us celebrate this different kind of competitor.”
 



T-Mobile Unveils ‘Pets Unleashed’

T-Mobile launched an online ad for April Fool’s Day, presumably from agency of record Publicis, entitled “Pets Unleashed.”

In the ad, the wireless “uncarrier” presumes to let you “add your cat, dog, ferret, turtle or, heck, your alpaca” to your family plan for just $5 a month. After introducing the offer, the spot claims “Your carrier hates puppies. So #@$% them and switch to T-Mobile.” They then extend the joke by claiming to offer new pet-friendly apps, like Fetch Freedom, FitPet and Pet Tinder. At one point, a horse even appears to be watching zebra porn (accompanied by the small text: “Zebra porn not included. Consult stable manager for appropriate use.”) In addition to the goofy spot, there’s also a fake press release on T-Mobile’s site, and a “Pets Unleashed” page, proving the brand went all-in on the gag.

Miss Cleo Is Standing By to Take Your Call to Benefit Cosmetics

Between 1997 and 2003, you probably fell asleep to psychic Miss Cleo telling you, in her upbeat Jamaican accent, that she could predict your future during her infamous Psychic Readers Network infomercials. Now, this April Fools’ Day, the pitchwoman is back. But instead of reading tarot cards, she’s trading makeup tips.

Miss Cleo is now apparently shilling for the Benefit Cosmetics Flawless Friends Network, a hotline that compliments your look. And this time, your calls to her number, 1-844-SO-FLAWLESS, won’t cost you $9.95 a minute. While she gets it makes fun of her most famous role, she’s totally on board with the prank. 

“Laughter is truly the best healer,” she tells AdFreak. “It’s the best way to celebrate. I love to laugh. I think that if anybody takes themselves too seriously, you run the risk of missing out on a lot of wonderful things.”

Don’t believe her? You can also hear testimonials from Shannen Doherty and Joey Lawrence, who make cameos in the ad. (As for me, I’m a firm believer in Miss Cleo’s predictive power. The psychic told me I’m a sensitive soul on my third life, which gives me the ability to take a concept and make it happen at top-level quality. Totally true.)

CREDITS
Client: Benefit Cosmetics
Vice President, Brand, Digital Marketing: Nicole Frusci
Executive Producer, Director: Claudia Allwood
Creative Director: Adriana Parada
Audio Producer: Laurin Hicks
Talent Casting, Management: The Eighth Floor Communications

Video Production Team
Producer: Danny Skarka
Scriptwriter: Brandon Snider
Postproduction Supervisor: Blake Padilla
Motion Graphics: Jimmy Giliberti
Los Angeles Director of Photography: Lew Abramson
Los Angeles Audio: Tom Curley
Miami Director of Photography: Gianfranco Bianchi
Miami Audio: Jeff Alex Thomas
Editor: Loren Sorensen

Hotline Production
Scriptwriter: Janie Stolar
Sound Engineer: Dexter Paulino

Talent: Cleo Harris, Shannen Doherty, Joey Lawrence

Hotline created by IfByPhone, Chicago
Recorded at Aesthesia Studio, Los Angeles; Graphographics, Miami
Edited at DigitalCore, San Francisco



29 People Who Can't Stand Your Stupid Branded April Fools' Joke

Here we are again, fools.

It’s the first day of April, and everyone is reluctant to click links for fear of getting Rickrolled, sent to an old website from the ’90s or even—gasp!—finding a fake product from a brand.

The latter is particularly loathesome, according to people on Twitter who hate to see brands have any fun whatsoever. It’s so tiresome and clichéd, these folks claim (a complaint that itself might be a bit tiresome and clichéd).

Take a look below at this motley crew of pitchfork-carrying villagers who won’t rest until the brands stop trying to engage with them.

 
It all started out friendly enough…

 
But even before today, it began to get heated…

 
And then things just escalated…

 
Here you go, Ross—at least one brand gets it…



BBDO New York Takes Pranks Too Far for Snickers

BBDO New York released two online spots designed to function as April Fool’s Day related extensions of the brand’s “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” campaign.

That connection, though, is a bit of a stretch. The two ads both follow April Fool’s Day pranks that go too far, followed by the message, “If you take April Fools this far, you might be hungry.” We’re not sure how being hungry translates to over the top pranking exactly, other than wanting to tailor the theme to the existing message. At any rate, in “Bedtime” a woman sets up a camera to document her prank on her significant other, which involves hiding a large snake under the covers and calling him to bed. Another spot sees a boy plugging his guitar into a large amp set up directly across from a slumbering grandmother. Clearly both of these pranks are not only ill advised, but could result in heart attacks. It can’t help but remind us of a certain other April Fool’s Day prank that went too far.

Credits:

Agency: BBDO New York

Client: SNICKERS

Title: “Bedtime” – “Grandma”

Chief Creative Officer, Worldwide: David Lubars

Chief Creative Officer, New York: Greg Hahn

Executive Creative Director: Gianfranco Arena

Executive Creative Director: Peter Kain

Copywriter: Lucas Owens

Art Director: Sei Rey Ho

Director of Integrated Production: David Rolfe

Group Executive Producer: Amy Wertheimer

Producer: Annie Dietz

Group Planning Director: Crystal Rix

Senior Planner: Alaina Crystal

Global Account Director: Susannah Keller

Account Director: Joshua Steinman

Account Manager: Tani Corbacho

Account Executive: Jocelyn Choi

Editorial: The Kitchen at BBDO

EP: Renee Haar

Editor: Keith Vogelsong

Sound-mix: Corey Bauman

Social Media Agency: FANSCAPE (THE MARKETING ARM)

Account Management: Torri Eubanks

Associate Director of Strategy: Hannah Redmond

Content Strategist: Rita Mogilanski

Casting: HOUSE CASTING

Production: UBER CONTENT

Director: Ben Callner

Executive Producer: Steve Wi

Production: ALL:EXPANDED

Director of Photography: Ron Egozi

Executive Producer: Duncan Winecoff

Line Producer: Tara Bassim

AC/DIT: Brandon Kelly

Gaffer: Adam Lukens

Production Designer: Joseph Sciacca

Prop/Set Decorator: Billy Brad Burke

Wardrobe: Bree Perry

HMU: Kristen Alimena

PA/Driver: Nick Stergiopoulos

Animal Agency: ALL CREATURES GREAT & SMALL

Animal Wrangler: Cat Long

Speed Up Your Love Connection With 'Uber for Tinder,' an April Fools' Gag That Could Actually Exist

The best April Fools’ Day gag products are the ones that leave you wondering why it’s not already a real thing.

That’s definitely the case with Tinder for Uber (and its partner site, Uber for Tinder), a partnership between two of the moment’s most popular mobile apps.

The supposed service lets you swipe your way to a romantic rendezvous by finding a match on Tinder and then each booking Uber rides to go meet in the middle. I’m sure there are already affair-planning sites that offer something similar, though for the sake of my search history and my marriage, I’m not going to Google that one. 



April Fools' Day 2015: Our Giant Roundup of the Best Brand Hoaxes

April Fools’ Day is one of my favorite advertising holidays. It’s a magical day when brands manage to be smart, relevant and amusing on their smallest budgets of the year. It’s a lesson we could all learn, year round.

With a few exceptions like Google (including YouTube), Virgin and ThinkGeek, which have practically built the day into their business model, most brands are tossing a pittance of their marketing budget toward a daylong prank, just for the fool of it. And there’s something beautifully foolish in that, don’t you think?

See this year’s roundup below. We’ll be updating this story throughout the day. Yee-haw!

(Email me or Tim with pranks that we’ve missed.)



April Fools’ Day 2014: The Best of the Brand Hoaxes

Happy April Fools' Day!

This year, all the usual brand suspects are joined by a host of tech companies and startups in trying to throw you for a loop—a near impossibility these days. And in an odd move, American Eagle Outfitters pranked us an entire week early.

Stay tuned. We'll be updating this list throughout the day.

 
UPDATE (4:37 p.m. ET): Here are still more. Scroll down to see the earlier ones.
 
• Lego
The toy brand is delivering its new Ninja Turtles set via live turtles.

 
• Honda
The automaker creates the world's first DIY car.

 
• Sam Adams
The brewer releases HeliYum, the world's first helium-carbonated beer.

 
• Lil BUB
The celebrity cat introduces her twin.

 
• Moshi
The computer accessory maker has invented MouseBolt, the first live-mouse-based charger.

 
• House of Cards
The Netflix show gave everyone a sneak peak of Season 3 with a script page on Facebook.

 
• Netflix
Watch Bacon sizzle with Netflix's new original series, Sizzling Bacon. If it's half as popular as Fireplace for Your Home, they've got a winner:

 
UPDATE (2:59 p.m. ET): Here are a bunch more. Scroll down to see the earlier ones.
 
• Bonobos
The apparel company created TechStyle—wearable tech-clothing that connects you socially to a psychopathic artificial intelligence.

 
• Denny's
In a surprising, press-getting twist, the restaurant opted out of April Fools' Day altogether.

 
• WestJet
The airline is converting to "metric time" to be even more Canadian.

 
• RedBox
The DVD rental company created Mood Match, which lets you auto-match your movie selection to your mood. Dissapointed that it's fake? Get 50 cents off today with the code Aprilfools.

 
• Saatchi & Saatchi Thailand
Ad agency creates an app to help clients fire their agency.

 
• Samsung and HTC
Both brands have made fake wearable tech gloves. HTC won this battle.

 
• American Well
The telehealth firm has introduced Puppy Connect, which lets you connect to puppies to improve your health. Aww, puppies.

 
• CERN
The Large Hadron Collider is switching to exclusively using Comic Sans font and is adding a Justin Bieber selfie to its logo.

 
• Vegemite
The Australian food paste has created its first energy drink. iDrink 2.0 comes in one flavor: Vegemite.

 
• Google Chrome
The browser wants to translate everything to Emoiji. Turn it on for your browser, and it will work only for today.

 
• Google Chromecast
The streaming device announces a new era of entertainment populated entirely by squirrels.

 
• Twitter
The Twitter helmet will allow you to tweet with a simple pecking head motion. What, we don't even get an illustration of this?

 
• Toshiba
In our third wearable tech glove prank of the day, Toshiba introduces DiGiT.

 
• Tumblr
Tumblr has launched Tumblr pro, a new service that puts top hats on everything. Be sure to watch the amazing, inspiring video.

 
• Microsoft
Clippy, the helpful paperclip, has returned to his reign of terror on Office.com.

 
• Captain Morgan
Hopefully this Taco Rum is fake, although Chrissy Teigen says she's not opposed.

 

The original list is below:
 
• Google
Linked off the Google homepage this morning is the Auto Awesome Photobombs app for Google+, which lets you insert David Hasselhoff into any photo.


 
• American Eagle Outfitters
Charging out of the gates last week, American Eagle announced American Beagle Outfitters, a new clothing line for dogs, complete with a dogumentary.

 
• Cheetos
Spokescheetah Chester released his new fragrance, Cheeteau. They took it a step further by actually making a few bottles of the stuff, and sent one to AdFreak. It reeks, and not in a good way. In New York City today? Try it yourself on Madison Avenue between 59th and 61st Streets.

 
• YouTube
The video site announces the absurd viral trends for the rest of the year.

 
• Reddit
"Headdit" lets you navigate Reddit with your head. Includes special cat mode.

 
• Airbnb
Now you can rent out other people's office desks.

 
• Sony
Tired of plugging your gadgets into wall sockets? Sony has invented Sony Power Food, which can power both you and your devices. Weird.

 
• BetaBrand
Introducing Adult Adult Undergarments. They'll make her pants as wet as yours.

 
• Publicis Seattle
The agency has created Brand Drops, the world's first branded aromatic rain. They turn a rainy day into the ultimate out-of-home, multisensory brand experience.

 
• Qless
This startup has created Line Ringer, an app that scans for the cellphone numbers of the people ahead of you in line and calls them with fake emergencies that force them to sacrifice their place. I wish it was real.

 
• Fresh Direct
The food-delivery company is offering eagle-caught salmon sustainably harvested in the wilds of upstate New York.

 
• Google Maps
Compete to become the world's best Pokémon master and win a job at Google Maps. OK, the job doesn't exist, but you can download the app and find the missing Pokémon.

 
• Gmail
Google's mail app has created "sharable selfie" themes for your Gmail inbox—or as they're calling them, Shelfies. And … they're claiming they invented the term "selfie." Again, it's not fully a joke, as you can now set your Gmail box to show other people's Shelfies.

 
• Orbotix
Speaking of selfies, Orbotix, maker of the Sphero ball toy, has invented a tiny hovering drone called the selfie bot, so you can take selfies every second of the day.

 
• Google Japan
Check out the Magic Hand, a joystick that replaces your hand with a robotic hand. Just another example of Chindogu.

 
• Nest
The home automation company teams with Virgin America to create Total Temperature Control for every seat on Virgin, introduced by Tony Fadell and Sir Richard Branson.

 
• Virgin Active
The Smarty Pants are underwear with a built-in meter to count your every glute flex and ensure your rump is in tip-top twerking shape.

 
• Waze
How do I love thee? Count the ways with new WazeDates. Because honking only takes you so far.

 
• National Geographic Channel
The channel will be running some of its classic programs with new audio courtesy of RiffTrax. This will probably seem more prank-like if you're flipping through and have no clue why the honeybadger is mouthing off again.

 
• The Pirate Bay
A special device will embrace your entire mind and upload Pirate Bay's content directly into your brain.

 
• Ely, Minnesota
The April Fools'-loving city is launching The Ely Channel, featuring great TLC-inspired shows like Sauna Wars, The Real Housewives of St. Louis County and Iron Range Chef.

 
• BMW
Introducing the Ultimate Sleeping Machine. BMW is old hat at this, so hats off for another super cute prank.

 
• Dominos U.K.
The world's first edible pizza box. Also, ewww.

 
• Samsung Mobile U.K.
How to bring free WiFi to all of London. With Fli-Fy, powered by the city's pigeons.

 
• Caribou Coffee
Check out Caribou Clear, the world's first clear coffee.

 
• Tropicana
It's a day for lots of fake new food flavors and varieties. Like Tropicana's All Pulp.

 
• BirchBox
An app update auto-identifies the makeup someone is wearing.

 
• Chegg
The academic company has created Chegg U., with groundbreaking courses in Advanced Flip Cup, Microwavable Culinary Arts and Mastering the Selfie.

 
• Think Geek
The nerd site tests a gamut of new products on April Fools' Day each year. Among this year's creations: the NERF Nuke, the Keurig Mr. Beard Instant Beard Machine, the Flux Capacitor Car Charger, the USS Enterprise Flying Disk, the DarkMange LED Spellcasting Staff, a laser-guided necktie and the Das Can-in-Stein.

 
• JetBlue
In an anti-prank, JetBlue is again giving free fares to people whose birthdays are April 1.

 
• CafePress
The site has launched CafePredict. In conjunction with the NSA, it'll ship you items before you order them.

 
• Reyka Vodka
A lava rock drinking-water filter.

 
• Chili's
The restaurant chain has put everything you love about Chili's in an ice cream. Try Nacho Queso Crunch, Baby Back Chunk and Buffalo Brownie Sundae. Because there's a pregnant lady somewhere.

 
• Life at Google
Try out Google Resume Auto-Awesome (actually not that awesome).

 
• Rosetta Stone
The language software company now lets you Learn to Speak Klingon. It's another product some people would actually buy. Plus, they got Worf himself, Michael Dorn, to star in the video.

 
• Spaghetti O's
Now they're Spaghetti Squares.


    



Clocking? Kissing Dad? Glub Glub? YouTube Announces 2014’s Next Big Viral Trends

YouTube is going all out for April Fools' Day today, revealing which outlandish trends will go viral for the remainder of the year—based on the premise that YouTube itself masterminds the site's biggest viral videos, trends and memes, like Gangnam Style, the Harlem Shake and Rebecca Black's "Friday."

"Here at YouTube HQ, we write, shoot, and upload all of the world's most popular viral videos. Here's a sneak peek at what you'll be watching in 2014," the site says.

The trends include:

• Clocking: The new planking! Hold your arms in the shape of the time in a public place. The longer you tick the cooler it is.

• Glub Glub Water Dance: An originally produced and choreographed song and dance, the Glub Glub Water Dance involves pouring water on yourself while flapping your arms and spitting out the water.

• Kissing Dad: Catch your dad's reaction on camera after you give him a smooch on the cheek or head. Celebrate kissing your dad once you're done!

YouTube is also inviting people to submit their viral trend ideas. It will pick three of them and create videos in real time for those trends from the YouTube Space LA.

Actually, Clocking probably will go viral after this.

See all the videos below.


    



Advertising: Beware the April Fools’ Jokes Coming From Madison Avenue

April 1 is a day for pranksters, and businesses and chambers of commerce are vying for top attention.

    



JetBlue Makes a Fool of Meaner Brands With April 1 Promotion

JetBlue and its ad agency, Mullen, celebrated April Fools' Day with a payout instead of a prank. For the "April's No Fool" promotion, the airline actually offered to refund the entire fare (as a JetBlue credit) of anyone named April who happened to fly JetBlue on April 1. The carrier quoted its very own April—director of media relations April Dinwoodie—in the announcement. "April 1 isn't always fun and games for everyone," she said. "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." Poor Dinwoodie's life of teasing wasn't for naught, as it delivered a fun insight that drove this neat little promotion, causing excitement for Aprils all over Facebook. And yes, they really, actually, truly did give the money back.

Check out 42 other branded April Fools' efforts here.

Check Out These Hilarious, Super-Cheesy Pre-Roll Ads From Which You Cannot Escape

It should be the quintessential YouTube video: Funny Baby Panda Kiss. But when you tried to watch it, all you got was an infinite pre-roll ad loop. Because Rhett and Link wanted to trick you for April Fools' Day. The gag ads take what should be a nightmare scenario of never-ending, low-budget marketing and turn it into a good comedy bit. South Carolina's tourism board, for example, wants you to come pan a river for loose change and teeth in "the underbelly of North Carolina." Or if you're a lonely widower in your golden years, forget finding a late-life companion. Get a roommate with benefits at the Silver Manor retirement home. Because fake commercials are usually more honest than real ones.

Media Decoder: Madison Avenue Springs April Fool’s Pranks Early

Retailers and advertising agencies started their April Fool’s campaigns early this year for much the same reason that they front-run Christmas and Super Bowl campaigns: the ability of social media to convey and amplify marketing messages.