A cheeky peek at the most ‘beautifooly’ executed April 1st pranks by clever Singaporean companies

With April Fool’s Day just around the corner, we thought it would be a laugh to take a look at some of the cheekiest April 1st pranks pulled by Singaporean companies in the last year. A sense of humour goes a long way these days and makes for some really clever marketing. Plus, who doesn’t love a good joke?

So, the question is, did you fall for any of these awesome pranks? Come on, you can admit it!

1. The New IKEA Assembly MANual by IKEA Singapore

Easy-to-assemble Swedish furniture maker IKEA had a lot of fun with this one, with men as the target of their April Fool’s joke. Men love to brag that they don’t need to consult manuals – they can assemble it on their own, thank you very much! One male friend informed me that for men, admitting to reading the manual instead of figuring it out “old-school style” is tantamount to not being manly enough, whatever that means.

IKEA Singapore announced the new IKEA Assembly MANual, exclusively for men. They posted a video featuring MANuals for customers’ favourite products, such as Kallax shelving unit and the Billy bookcase. The manuals’ pages were completely blank! Guys seemed to get a kick out of the new MANuals, claiming them to be “perfect” for men. IKEA responded to curious queries as to the legitimacy of the MANuals, saying they were “as real as veggie meatballs”. Ha!

2. Durian by Dewey Anne by VisitSingapore

This has got to be one of the best April Fool’s jokes ever! Of all the things, a DURIAN-scented perfume? You’ve got to be kidding us! Well, they definitely were. Not only did they invent a fragrance, choosing one of the most foul-smelling food items in existence, they invented a brand, too. And “Dewey Anne” is an ingenious play on “durian”.

They certainly got people talking with their play on words and outrageous sense of humour. Netizens were tickled, and the Singapore Tourism Board scored high points, winning over people’s hearts (and funny bones!).

3. Hair Colour Hack by Ribena Singapore

Ribena brings back childhood memories of everyone’s favourite purple drink. Last year, just in time for April Fool’s Day, Ribena Singapore shared a video featuring a new, handy-dandy, fashion-forward way of using the purple drink – use it to dye your hair Ribena purple! With its straightforward style and familiar DIY format that’s popular these days, fans nearly got fooled.

The big question is – how many people do you think actually tried the Ribena hair colour hack, in the secrecy of their own homes? If they did, they certainly did not post any violet reactions about it. Perhaps they were purplexed at the results!

4. Chocolate Whopper by Burger King Singapore

Burger King Singapore played with two of the most popular foods in the history of the world – burgers and chocolate. And what’s better than an almost all-chocolate burger made with a chocolate cake bun, flame-grilled chocolate patty, raspberry syrup “ketchup”, white chocolate “onion” rings, candied blood orange “tomatoes”, milk chocolate leaves and vanilla frosting “mayonnaise”? It looks like a whopper, but it’s chocolate.

The atmosphere around the comments was thick with chocolate, I mean excitement. Netizens were actually disappointed when it turned our all to be an April Fool’s joke. Who can blame them? It looks delicious!

5. Smoked Chicken Sausage “Edible” Condoms by Durex

Durex tried to heat things up last April 1 by announcing that they were “breaking barriers” with their hilarious ad featuring all new, extra spicy smoked chicken sausage “edible” condoms. The ad went viral, garnering thousands of reactions and comments from netizens, who ate the whole thing up, figuratively! Many interested buyers who clicked on the link provided were greeted with the message “Just Kidding! Are you really that hungry?” Apparently yes.

Consumers were a mix of incredulous, tickled, suspicious, and yes, even excited at the naughty ad. Some were even cheekier with their responses, saying that it was not good idea for a condom company to “break barriers”, haha, while others feigned seriousness by demanding a vegan-friendly version for the non-meat-eating population.

Since today’s the day for announcements and reveals ranging from the shocking to the ridiculous, we decided to include this extra special entry. By the way, we’re just reporting this, so please don’t get all crusty with us when you read on.

6. Pizza Crust Cull by Deliveroo Singapore

Deliveroo, one of Singapore’s favourite food delivery services, just made a tear-jerking announcement: it’s removing ALL pizza crust options from its app, beginning today, April 1st. Before you cry “Why?!”, we have the answers for you — Deliveroo’s customers have spoken. Even “dough” pizza crusts have been there for people through thick and thin, crusts are now considered a waste of space. Deliveroo reported a strong “anti-crust” movement among its clients (who even launched a petition for its removal) and is answering the no-crust call. Trust in the crust is gone, and Deliveroo has obliged. Goodbye forever, crusts. 

The next time you’re eating a pizza and feel tempted to discard the crusts, think back to this announcement. Where would you be without the trusty crust? Your pizza might feel flimsy, it will probably fall apart, and your fingers would certainly be covered in sauce. They may be plain and boring compared to the rest of the pizza, but crusts have feelings, too.

Happy April Fool’s Day from Deliveroo and from us crust-loving folk at The Independent Singapore. I think I’m going to order a pizza tonight, with extra crusts!

That concludes our list of some of the most beautifooly-executed April Fool’s Day 2018 pranks. The joke’s on us by these clever companies! What will April 1, 2019 bring? We have yet to see. Whatever happens, remember, a sense of humour never killed anyone (I think). /TISG