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Home / Lifestyle

Best April Fools' Day pranks of 2017

NZ Herald
31 Mar, 2017 10:26 PM6 mins to read

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Virgin Australia announce in-flight doggie dollies

April Fools' Day only comes around only once a year, so this is the only chance companies can prank the rest of the world. Here is a list of the best pranks of 2017 so far.

Virgin Australia: Dog flight attendants

Virgin Australia decided to prank those on Facebook with an ad showing off its new "canine flight crew members". Along with a very cute video of these dogs, Virgin Australia posted the following comment:

"Today we are excited to unleash our new Virgin Australia Canine Crew in a world first initiative. On select flights, a Canine Crew member will work alongside our award-winning Cabin Crew team to offer a range of additional services.

"Congratulations to all pooches who have completed their rigorous training program and officially take to the skies for the first time today."

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Imagine a team of dogs looking after us on flights.

Honda car emojis

Honda followed suit with an advertising prank. The car manufacturer has put out a commercial advertising a horn that helps you express your feelings while driving. The horn features emoji buttons that make corresponding horn sounds. So while you're cruising along, you can let the driver next know if you're happy - or possibly upset with their driving.

Zipline for One Tree Hill

Today The New Zealand Herald decided to join in the fun with Aprils Fools. If you thought a half-price deal to zipline 800m off the peak of One Tree Hill was too good to be true - well, you were right.

The wild ride would apparently let tourists and thrill-seekers whizz down the side of Maungakiekie at barely-believable speeds of more than 190km/h, passing over Cornwall Park before coming to rest in a paddock, 800m from the volcano's summit.

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By midday today more than 3000 had clicked on the web link and more than 300 people had attempted to purchase the deal.

The "new zipline" for One Tree Hill.
The "new zipline" for One Tree Hill.

Brendon McCullum jockey apprenticeship

The TAB Trackside decided to pull a prank on their Facebook by sharing an "exclusive video" of cricketing legend Brendon McCullum announcing he will begin his jockey apprenticeship in the new season.

During the video he explains how he has been "thinking about it for awhile and the time is right." When asked, "What are you doing this make this happen?" McCullum hilariously responds with, "The first thing I had to do was give up Speights, which was pretty tough."

The prank didn't seem to fool many, but got at least 73 shares, 425 reactions and 289 comments.

NZ police bunnies

Waikato District Police also shared a prank on Facebook announcing their new crime fighting units - bunnies! The post explains they are "specially trained to sniff out stolen jewellery during search warrants." Apparently the operation is going well and "they really have a nose for it."

I know we have mentioned this initiative previously when it was under development; but: Police have a new crime fighting...

Posted by Waikato Police on Friday, 31 March 2017

Burger King Whopper toothpaste

On Wednesday, the fast food chain announced the launch of the "Whopper Toothpaste" that is said to keep your mouth "Whopper fresh" all day long.

The toothpaste claims to contain "active Whopper extracts" and embody "the iconic flavour of the Whopper and combine it with active ingredients for optimal teeth and gum hygiene", the company stated in a press release.

Complete with full 60-second ad, Burger King has not let us down with its deadly serious movie-like trailer boasting "you won't have to hesitate between enjoying a Whopper and brushing your teeth ever again".

Google

Pac man:

Google tends to do a lot of April Fools pranks every year. One includedturning Google Maps into a functional Pac Man game. It's pretty entertaining being able to able play a classic arcade game in your own street.

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Google maps can be converted to Pac Man. Photos / Google
Google maps can be converted to Pac Man. Photos / Google

Google Gnome:

This new device is quoted "the next evolution" from Google home. Apparently, Google Gnome is a voice-activated, hands free tools that gives you information about your back yard. A fake advertisement shows people asking the Gnome several questions from "How's the weather?" to "Can I eat this daisy?". Google Gnome can even turn your hose on and off. I think a lot of gardeners would be happy if this device really existed.

SodaStream- NanoDrop

Sodastream went the extra mile with this prank, involving Paris Hilton. This fake commercial advertises NanoDrop, "a cutting edge, state of the art condensed from of sparkling water". In other words, having one drop of this water will quench your thirst, meaning we can save planet earth by using less plastic. Paris Hilton's delivery of this advertisement is quite serious, which makes this fake ad even more hilarious.

KFC Bucket

In Canada, the fast food chain released a fake ad for a voice-activated smart device - shaped like a KFC bucket. Even though the ad doesn't say much, the futuristic vibe makes the "product" very interesting. What would the device do? Order us KFC? It's a mystery.

Duolingo Emoji Course

The language learning site has made a unique course for April Fools, teaching users the language of Emoji. This "course" comes with a flash card set to help you learn. Too bad this isn't real, this would actually be useful for adults to figure out what their teenagers are messaging each other.

Would you take the Duolingo Emoji Course?
Would you take the Duolingo Emoji Course?

Gelato that treats sensitive teeth

Gelatissimo is launching the world's first artisan gelato that treats sensitive teeth. The company has worked with leading Australian dentists to create a flavour that is clinically proven to relieve the symptoms caused by tooth sensitivity.

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Gelatissimo launched a gelato that treats sensitive teeth.
Gelatissimo launched a gelato that treats sensitive teeth.

'World's first oat powered batteries'

Uncle Tobys launched 'O Energy' Oat batteries, an innovation that will transform the energy industry as the world's first renewable batteries powered entirely by oats.
During a top-secret project, scientists harnessed the natural oat energy source with rigorous testing and technological enhancements.

After years of analysis, scientists believe that batteries powered by oats are more powerful and long lasting than any other household battery on the market.

The Uncle Toby's Oat Batteries for April Fool's Day.
The Uncle Toby's Oat Batteries for April Fool's Day.

Deliveroo goes sky high

Today, Deliveroo launched its Extreme Delivery service that engages skydivers rather than bike riders to deliver food to a broader location base. Deliveroo partnered with Melbourne-based phenomenon, Huxtaburger, delivering its mouth-watering burgers to locations off the beaten track.

The tattoo spell checker app

Travel Insurance Direct launched a new app, known as the 'TID: We've Got Your Back' App, a free tattoo spell checker. Ahead of tourists getting inked, the App will simply scans the artist's flash-sheet to reveal any pesky tattoo typos among English, Thai and Indonesian characters, ensuring they aren't scarred for life.

The app that can tell if you're tattoo is spelt correctly.
The app that can tell if you're tattoo is spelt correctly.

Amazon Petlexa

Amazon "released" an animal feature for Amazon Alexa. This voice-activated technology allows your pets to communicate with Alexa just like we do. The Petlexa feature lets them order from Amazon and activate smart home enabled toys.

- additional reporting by news.com.au

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