5 April Fools’ Day Marketing Stunts That Actually Drive Sales (Seriously!)

April Fools' Day presents a unique challenge for eCommerce brands. In an era where consumers are wary of marketing gimmicks — especially on April 1st — how do you join the fun without damaging trust?

The key is balance: campaigns that are clever enough to delight, but authentic enough to reinforce your brand values. When done right, these lighthearted moments can actually deepen customer relationships and drive meaningful engagement.

Here are 5 thoughtful approaches to April Fools' Day that respect your audience while delivering real business value:

1. Domi-No-Driver

Domino’s may have outdone last year’s April Fools’ efforts (an edible pizza box!) with the world’s first driverless vehicles. Introducing: the ‘Domi-No-driver’. 
 

In what it calls a major leap in tech innovation, Domino’s has introduced a driverless vehicle capable of carrying 400% more pizzas. Equipped with GPS tracking for customer orders, the Domi-No-Driver also features the H.U.N.G.A.R. system (Hunger Detection And Ranging) to identify obstacles and ensure road safety. In the event of an accident, an LED screen will display messages like "Sorry," "Apologies," and "What am I like?!"

2. Hailo’s Piggy-back service

Talking of quirky transportation, on 1st April, cab app Hailo announced a new feature that will help city-dwellers get around more easily.

Using the app’s new ‘Piggyback’ function, users will see one of Hailo’s specially-trained human piggyback carriers arrive in a matter of minutes to transport the passenger to their destination.

With the ability to dart in-between busy city traffic, Hailo’s Piggybackers were recruited for their athleticism and knowledge of the city, as well as allowing passengers to enjoy a 360 degree view of their surroundings.

3. Tesco’s trampoline aisles

For the more petite of shoppers, trying to reach the top shelf can be a real burden. But this week Tesco claimed to revolutionise the shopping experience with the introduction of trampolines in the aisles, which will help people reach the top shelves more easily.

The Only Way is Essex star Lucy Mecklenburgh was claimed to have used her experience on the BBC’s gymnastics show Tumble to work with the supermarket to develop the trampolines. She said: “I think people will jump at the chance to use them.

4. London Eye’s Zero Gravity Capsule

But the London Eye took the mid-air idea a bit further by announcing its ‘Zero Gravity Capsule’ experience. The experience, which supposedly came about through a new partnership with the British Space Research Programme, simulates weightlessness via indoor vertical fans embedded in the capsule floor. 

5. BMW – Lunar Paint

Concept:

BMW i is constantly pushing the boundaries of electric mobility and remains dedicated to advancing its solar and digital charging solutions. In 2019, they introduced an innovative Lunar Paint, featuring groundbreaking photovoltaic technology that passively recharges electric vehicles overnight—extending their range even further.

Why it was effective:

This campaign successfully captured attention for BMW’s electric vehicle lineup while reinforcing the brand’s commitment to pioneering new technologies. The press release also cleverly directed consumers toward BMW’s existing solar charging solutions, emphasizing that while the Lunar Paint was in development, they could already enhance their charging experience with BMW’s home solar charging pad.

5. Virgin Atlantic – Is it a bird or is it a plane?

Concept:

In 2017, Virgin Atlantic went all out for April Fools’ Day, enlisting none other than their president, Sir Richard Branson, to front a groundbreaking aviation announcement. The company published an article on its website revealing a world-first innovation: an aircraft with flappable wings.

Why it was effective:

Featuring Sir Richard Branson in the promotional video lent credibility to the announcement, making it all the more convincing. In the video, Branson shared his love of birds and explained how the concept of flappable wings was born. The campaign’s clever use of technical designs, expert commentary, and data-driven visuals made it so convincing that some believed it was a genuine project, supposedly five years in the making. Since its release, the video has amassed over 203,000 views on YouTube.

April Fools’ Day offers brands a unique opportunity to boost their online presence and engage audiences in a fun, memorable way. After a challenging year of uncertainty and lockdowns, there’s never been a better time to connect with your audience and bring a little joy.

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Let us know, How did your brand celebrate the occasion?