Take advantage of April Fool's Day

The 'holiday' provides brands with a great way to engage with customers

We already know that humor in advertising works. An opinion piece just today on MediaPost Marketing Daily gives a good overview of how using humor adds a positive, uplifting feel that connects a brand more closely with its audience.

That's why April 1st every year is a built-in platform for businesses and brands. The Verge already has a list of the best April Fool's pranks by brands in 2019.

My personal favorite was back on April 1, 2013, while we were handling Delta Airline's social marketing work at Razorfish. The team saw April Fool's Day as a fun way to interject humor and boost engagement. So, we announced on Facebook that Delta was introducing 'double-decker armrests' on its planes in order to solve the annoying problem of sitting in middle seat and having to share an ordinary 'single' armrest with your fellow passenger. Now, no more elbowing!

Delta Airline's Double-Decker Armrest

It really was a fun post, largely because the best April Fool's jokes are the ones that actually seem plausible. The 'double-decker armrest' actually solves a real-life problem.

And it was one of the more successful posts from an engagement perspective, not to mention the PR pickup it achieved.

April Fool's Day is a perfect platform for brands because it makes them human. Vulnerable. In some instances, self-deprecating. We can better relate to someone who isn't always the ideal (polished) look and feel, whether a person (or a business).

You don't have to be a big brand to use it. As a former restaurant owner, we posted April Fool's jokes aross our social media accounts ourselves, even though we were just a local business.

It may be too late to post something today, but mark your calendar for 2020. You have just about a year to think of a fun idea.

What do you think? Feel free to leave a comment.