April Fool’s Day is upon us – the one day of the year media outlets, PR companies and retailers are allowed to trick people for the sake of a laugh with complete impunity.
Like most fun things last year it was ‘cancelled’ – apparently by Google – which may have actually been an April Fool’s Day trick itself.
But in 2021, April Fool’s Day is back with a vengeance – and nothing is sacred, including Sydney’s greatest icon and a personal beer that gets personal – way too personal.
Here’s a selection of some of Daily Mail Australia’s favourites this year. Did you get fooled by any of them?
So Sydney it hurts
First up is a joke so sharp it is bound to outrage a few people before they realise they’ve been pranked – the Ø House.
The O House – yes that is a mega mansion in Sydney Harbour
The agency which came up with the O House concept also cheekily helped out the inevitable protests it would generate by developing some anti-O House material
It’s the ultimate multimillion dollar designer home literally in Sydney Harbour, just behind the Opera House.
Architectural visualisation production company Third Aesthetic came up with the ‘project’, which they proudly said is ‘reached by a tunnel from the Botanic Gardens.’
The PR company concerned even mocked up a fake social media protest – so look out for that.
Immersive eating experience
Melbourne’s Sea Life aquarium announced an underwater dining experience that does away with the annoying protective glass so you can have a full immersive dining experience.
‘Thousands of people have dined surrounded by sea creatures at the Aquarium over the years and now they’ll have the opportunity to dine while fully submerged in the 2.2 million litre Oceanarium for the ultimate multi-sensory experience,’ the aquarium’s announcement said.
‘Competing with sharks, rays and hundreds of fish for food, Underwater Private Dining gives guests the opportunity to even closer to the magnificent marine creatures residing at the Aquarium.’
Seems a bit fishy.
Seem fishy? Melbourne’s Sea Life aquarium announced an underwater dining experience that does away with the annoying protective glass so you can have a full immersive dining experience
IKEA’s designer dogwear
The Swedish homewares giant has been branching out for years – and overnight it announced a departure into a rough new area: designer dogwear.
‘Hund Couture: A new range of designer couture outfits for dogs, made from the iconic blue FRAKTA bags,’ Ikea barked in its April Fool’s Day announcement.
‘At IKEA, we want to make good design accessible by the many – even our furry friends. HUND COUTURE brings sleek, sophisticated Swedish design to dogs and lets their personality shine’, said Ryan Burman, IKEA spokesperson.
Would you fall for it, or even buy it? One bark for yes, two for no.
Rough idea: Ikea’s new Hund Couture range, bark my words this could work
Trampolines made by NASA
Trampoline retailer Vuly worked so hard on it’s anti-gravity trampoline in time for April Fool’s Day that the idea could just about take off.
‘An anti-gravitational trampoline has always been a dream of mine,’ said Vuly Trampolines founder Joe Andon, claiming the company had been kept it a secret for seven years.
Vuly came up with an idea that could really take off – the anti-gravity trampoline
Why the big secret?
Vuly claimed it was ‘utilising NASA technology for training astronauts for replicating weightless flight and Zero G gravity’.
It also expected to generate ’70 new tech and manufacturing jobs and generate over $50 million in export sales in the first 12 months.’
It all sounds a bit airy fairy to be honest.
How to get ‘financially comfortable’
Online bank ME Bank announced its ‘Bucksuit, the ultimate in financial comfort’ which is made from ‘Me-rino wool suit featuring anti-laundering properties’.
The Bucksuit is also apparently features plenty of puns.
Designers of this anti-laundering suit had ‘hip pockets have been removed for a svelte cashless look’
ME bank announced the Bucksuit had ‘Hip pockets have been removed for a svelte cashless look’ and ‘a budget-tightening hoody drawstring for tunnel vision when you need to block out unnecessary spending’.
It also apparently ‘takes the sweat out of banking and gives customers extra street cred-it.’
It does have built-in sleeve pockets for credit cards and digital wallets, ‘so you can tap and go with ease’.
A bitter sweet ‘treat’
Subway in New Zealand produced an ad for a cookie that for once would make you hesitate at buying the doughy treats as an add-on with your sub.
The sandwich chain didn’t just want to create a cookie that ruined the fun by being too healthy – they wanted to go much further and make the main flavour one that grosses out a lot of people.
So they made the coriander cookie. Anyone?
Who’s up for a coriander cookie from Subway? Anyone?
Move over Facebook, it’s Snackbook time
Stationery and gift company kikki-k did its homework before designing a special compartment to keep your 3pm snack supply safe.
‘With the Australian Bureau of Statistics reporting that 1 in 5 Australians began snacking more as they were forced to stay and work from home during the COVID-19 lockdown, kikki.K sought to design a product to put your office or WFH “seagulls” at bay, and let your snacks be your snacks’ it announced proudly.
‘Enter, the Snackbook – a sleek desktop snack drawer, stealthily designed as a kikki.K Notebook.’
Stationery and gift company kikki-k did its homework before designing a special compartment to keep your 3pm snack supply safe
Sour taste
One idea that came across our desks was actually too weird to describe in full detail.
‘Australian women’s health service, Youly have partnered with a group of fierce microbiologists, to create and perfect a fermentation technique using YOU for the brewing process to launch You Brew.’
Exactly what that means is hard to describe and probably even harder to drink.
The polite version is that the beer is brewed using personal activation agents – way too personal.
‘Youly will capture your very essence, along with the finest key ingredients, to gift you with Australia’s latest and most empowering brew.’
