Joke’s on you: April Fools’ Day may be one of the toughest days of the year for ecommerce brands to take advantage of.
It’s not just that humor can be hard to get right. “Don’t believe everything you see online” also hits new heights on April 1, and after so many brand failures over so many years, your audience is primed to tune out the noise on social media.
But if you manage to pull it off, it’s so worth it. Research from Oracle shows that people reward brands that embrace humor: 80% are more likely to buy from a funny brand again, and 41% would walk away from a brand that doesn’t make them smile or laugh consistently.
Whether your marketing team wants to play it safe with an earnest discount or take a big swing with a thoughtful joke, you’ll need some inspiration for creative marketing ideas from brands that have survived another April Fools’ Day to tell the tale.
1. Coffee Beanery promotes a sale with silly design
April 1 isn’t all knock-knock jokes and pranks. It’s also a day you can make your audience smile with unexpected visuals, messaging, or an overall funny vibe.
Here, see how specialty flavored coffee maker Coffee Beanery leans into the silly nature of the holiday by employing some fun design elements (different font, cartoon jesters, confetti) that they don’t usually use in their marketing messaging.
April Fools’ Day marketing idea: You don’t need to conduct a whole new product shoot to create special April Fools’ Day images for your marketing communications. Prompt an AI photo editor to swap out colors, change the background, or generate new visual elements (like confetti).
2. Beekman 1802 extends their product collection with a gag gift
Niche holidays like April Fools’ Day may be one of the best times to test out new products. Worst-case scenario, it’s a flop. You can always chalk it up to a practical joke.
Skincare brand Beekman 1802 is best known for their goat’s milk soap. But for April Fools’ Day, they go outside their comfort zone by promoting their own chocolates (aptly named “Goat Poop”), paying homage to what makes their brand unique while getting their subscribers to giggle.
April Fools’ Day marketing idea: If you decide to try something similar, create a segment of people who clicked on the message but didn’t place an order. Then, re-send the same message to remind them that their product is still patiently waiting for them. If you’re using email, you can use AI to swap out the old subject line for something fresh.
3. Pearson asks for forgiveness and offers useful content
Lots of brands send out practical joke emails on April 1. And some of those pay off, going viral and building brand awareness and credibility. Others, however, simply irritate subscribers—and can even erode trust among loyal customers.
So, how do you come back from a misfire?
Pearson, a brand that sells bikes, clothing, and equipment for cyclists, launched a product on April 1 that was, in their words, “too good to be true.” Not everyone caught the joke.
In this follow-up email, the brand apologizes and tries to make it up to their subscribers, keeping it lighthearted. The follow-up email begins, “to redeem ourselves for this foolery…” and references the fake product that sparked customer inquiries about the launch date, to make things crystal clear for anyone who may have missed the initial April Fools’ Day prank.
April Fools’ Day marketing idea: Notice that Pearson doesn’t offer an apology discount. Instead, they provide a link to sign up for a workshop, tongue-in-cheek nutrition advice tailored to cyclists, and a new ride route perfect for spring.
If your April Fools’ messaging is a miss (and you want to repair customer relationships because of it), consider sending a follow-up survey to those who engaged with your email. Ask questions that get to the root of why your messaging didn’t land, so you know definitely what not to say next year.
4. CBDfx keeps things timely with a countdown clock
April Fools’ is a quick, day-long celebration, and it doesn’t last much longer than the day itself. If you’re running an April Fools’ marketing promotion, you need to reach your customers in time so they don’t miss out on the festivities.
In this email, CBDfx, a CBD brand, celebrates April Fools’ Day by offering a 30% off coupon code with a hard deadline for when subscribers must complete their purchase. But they also take the urgency one step further: they include a prominent countdown clock at the very top of the email.
April Fools’ Day marketing idea: Amp up the urgency by turning an email campaign into an omnichannel campaign. Incorporate a live countdown on social media or send out follow-up reminders through shoppable RCS, SMS, and WhatsApp messages. Using omnichannel linear multi-touch attribution, measure which touchpoints drove the most conversions, so you can apply those insights to your next seasonal promotion.
5. Flock Foods takes snack time seriously
Plenty of brands clutter subscribers’ inboxes with bad jokes on April 1. The day is basically a guarantee for even an active fan of your brand to potentially ignore an email from you.
So, if you’re serious about what you’re offering, make sure you let your customers know. Most of the brands we’ve looked at so far made clear that their sale was no joke, but snack brand Flock Foods drives it home with clarifying copywriting in 3 key places:
- Eyebrow copy
- Subhead copy
- Body copy
April Fools’ Day marketing idea: Let customers know you’re serious with a browse abandonment flow that encourages them to complete their purchase if they leave without buying, with AI product recommendations based on their browsing activity or past purchases. According to Klaviyo’s latest omnichannel marketing benchmarks for ecommerce brands, automated browse abandonment emails drive $2.08 in revenue per recipient (RPR) on average, and browse abandonment texts drive $1.04 in RPR on average.
6. POPFLEX goes for the joke everyone knows
Here’s a less risky move: using your unique brand voice and identity to tell a joke your audience is already familiar with.
This April Fools’ email from athleisure brand POPFLEX turns a common Instagram joke on its head with funny visuals of their “squatless yoga pants” that promise to “take you from pancake to peach emoji in 2 seconds.”
April Fools’ Day marketing idea: This POPFLEX example was a…cheeky move, but the risk is diluted because the brand’s audience is in on the joke.
After April Fools’ Day is over, think about how you can adapt your product messaging so that it resonates all year long. An AI marketing agent can help you ramp up communications with always-on flows that nurture your customers with personalized messaging weekly.
7. Every Man Jack jokes about a fake product, then offers real savings
Another great idea for April Fools’ Day: hook your audience in with a relatable yet somewhat far-fetched idea that just might be real.
Here, men’s grooming brand Every Man Jack takes a playful approach to their April Fools’ Day prank by advertising a product that doesn’t exist, but addresses a grooming concern that’s surprisingly relatable: “Back Hair Shampoo.”
By poking fun at something some people actually deal with (but rarely talk about), Every Man Jack comes across as self-aware and approachable. The authentic lifestyle photography, meanwhile, helps make the message feel less like a traditional ad and more like content you'd actually want to engage with. The humor breaks the ice, and then the 20% discount seals the deal.
April Fools’ Day marketing idea: To make it more likely that customers will open and click on your message, use AI-powered channel affinity to reach them where they’re most likely to engage. If they don’t respond on their most active channel, follow up on their second-most preferred channel.
8. Thirdlove doesn’t lean into April Fools’ messaging too hard
If emulating a silly, goofy mood doesn’t feel natural for your brand, that’s fine, too. In this email, women’s intimates brand Thirdlove shows restraint during April Fools’ Day and keeps the focus on their product. They use an on-theme subject line (“Thought the sale was over? April Fools ;)”) and extend their 25% off sale.
April Fools’ Day marketing idea: At the end of their email, Thirdlove offers 1:1 virtual fittings so customers can make sure they’re purchasing their perfect fit. Implementing an AI customer agent would allow them to provide brand-trained assistance to potential buyers who have questions about sizing, material, and what this service costs.
Keep your customers laughing all year long with Klaviyo
April Fools’ Day is a perfect pick me up after the winter rush to keep your goals moving forward.
And with the help of K:AI (Klaviyo AI) agents, K:AI Marketing Agent and K:AI Customer Agent, autonomous marketing and customer service can take on the more tedious aspects of managing customer service and planning, writing, and launching marketing, so you can focus on what matters: connecting with customers.
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