Don't be fooled: The worst corporate April Fools' jokes and how to spot them

It's that time of year again — April Fools' Day is around the corner with investors waiting to see where the first joke will land and whether anyone will fall for it.

Will it be via an X post? Or a company statement? Or a video message? From TGI Fridays  announcing that its chief executive officer will step down to join the circus to Volkswagen AG's purported name change to "Voltswagen" in the U.S., what's meant to be a fun ploy to bolster a brand runs the risk of turning into a flop.

"For every brand giggle there's a corporate communications disaster waiting to happen," said Laura Price, a partner at consultant Pagefield. "Humor should not be delivered by corporations and boardrooms." Still, "when it is done well, which is extremely hard in a saturated market, the April Fools' can still land a powerful PR punch," she added.

There's a gamut of pranks that companies could unleash on April 1, and even in the days leading up to it. While one can't predict the next prank, here are some ways to not get fooled.

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Disclaimers
Try looking for a waiver if something seems off on a press release. On April 1, 2021, TGI Fridays released a statement saying its CEO Ray Blanchette will be stepping down to pursue a career as a circus "high-wire artist." The press release included this disclaimer: "Of course, only the most observant will notice that April 1 is also April Fools' Day. While this is just a prank, TGI Fridays respects the profession of high-wire artists and firmly believe everyone should follow their dreams."

Startling branding move
Here's one that raised eyebrows, drew the attention of U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission and got some backlash from the investment community.

On March 30, 2021, Volkswagen of America put out a media release pledging to rebrand itself "Voltswagen" as "a public declaration of the company's future-forward investment in e-mobility." The automaker fessed up later that day that it was done in the spirit of April Fools' Day. It was still dealing with the investor fallout two years later.

"Organizations dedicate time and resources to make sure they have the best, most creative stunt or joke, but pushing the boundaries can be risky," said Neil McLeod, managing director, corporate, at The PHA Group. "There needs to be a sense of the joke also being on the company" and there needs to be a degree of being obvious, he added.

What could have or should have been disconcerting was that the day before, the automaker briefly posted, then removed, a draft press release on its website related to branding. And on the day of the actual press release, a VW spokesperson called the announcement "an interesting idea" from the marketing department.

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Bizarre claims
While the "Voltswagen" joke may have gone too far, there are others that are just plain peculiar and unreal.

On the day in 2019, Google said it found a way to understand tulips in its natural language called "Tulipish." It claimed it was able to allow translation between Tulipish and dozens of human languages through "great advancements in artificial intelligence." Predictably, no one really fell for it, especially if they watched to the end of this amusing video, which said Google Tulip would only be available on April 1.

A year before this, Netflix said it purchased celebrity Seth Rogen, adding that he had entered into a lifetime deal to transfer full ownership of his mind, body and soul to the streaming company.

In 2017, Burger King said it had created a Whopper toothpaste. It even had a spoof commercial promising to "keep your breath Whopper fresh longer than ever."

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Not so funny
Watch out for company executives with a penchant for shock and awe, particularly on social media platforms.

After the worst month for Tesla shares in more than seven years, punctuated by company blog posts about the death of a Model X driver, Elon Musk decided to joke about the company going bankrupt.

"Despite intense efforts to raise money, including a last-ditch mass sale of Easter eggs, we are sad to report that Tesla has gone completely and totally bankrupt," the CEO wrote in an April Fools' Day tweet. Another post included a photo of Musk and a message that he "was found passed out against a Tesla Model 3, surrounded by 'Teslaquilla' bottles, the tracks of dried tears still visible on his cheeks."

While jokes are mostly done in fun, companies are particularly vulnerable to malicious pranksters during this time, not just the possible misfire of a self-inflicted joke. Communications departments are typically on high alert to respond to that kind of meddling.

"There are huge reputational and financial risks if clients do not get on top of any joke to counter the misinformation," said Pagefield's Price. "The challenge with a joke, hoax or prank is that if you hit back too strongly you can risk fueling additional publicity."