Celebrating Our Birthday and Paying Homage to Iconic April Fools’ Pranks
April Fools’ Day provides brands with an opportunity to engage their audiences in a light-hearted way. It’s also our company birthday! Our story began on April 1, 1993, on Pittsburgh’s South Side. To celebrate both, we’re sharing some iconic brand April Fools’ pranks across our 32 years.
1990s: Taco Liberty Bell
In 1996, three years after KCI’s founding, Taco Bell collaborated with a public relations agency to publish full-page advertisements in six major American newspapers announcing the company had purchased the Liberty Bell to “reduce the country’s debt.” It was renamed the “Taco Liberty Bell.” According to Taco Bell executives, the ad campaign generated nearly $25 million worth of advertising, and sales even increased by $600,000 just the next day.
2000s: Google’s “I’m Feeling Lucky” Date Night
In 2008, Google added the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button to its calendar feature, which is also featured on the normal Google search engine.
When a user tried to create a new event, they were given the regular option of entering the event details with a new option—the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button—which would set the user up with an evening date with public figures or characters such as Jessica Alba, Johnny Depp, Matt Damon, Lois Griffin, Eric Cartman, Pamela Anderson, Tom Cruise, Paris Hilton, Anna Kournikova, Angelina Jolie, Britney Spears or George W. Bush.
2010s: Warby Barker
In 2012, eyewear brand Warby Parker launched Warby Barker. They created a Warby Barker website, which redirects any customer who actually adds items from the Canine Collection to their cart to either buy human glasses from Warby Parker or donate to the Humane Society. What started as an April Fools’ Prank has continued, as they still maintain their @warbybarker Instagram. We wish we could get our Director of Barketing Leo some new spectacles!
2020s: Duolingo and Peacock’s “Love Language”
How could we write a blog on brand pranks without mentioning Pittsburgh’s Duolingo? In a 2023 collaboration with Peacock, Duolingo created a teaser trailer for a reality show, “Love Language,” featuring single contestants who fall in love without speaking the same language and must learn how to communicate through Duo the Owl. The promotion also offered viewers one month of free access to Super Duolingo and half-off three months of Peacock Premium–a one-time payment of $7.49.
Looking for a creative way to interact with your audience? Reach out to us at and let us know about your brand goals!
