Sign of the future? The creativity of April Fool's Day pranking in the retail industry
I still think back fondly on some ‘limited edition announcements’ that turned out to be pranks at the time.
Chakalaka Tinkies, anyone? Too silly to be true, right? But other retail-related jokey announcements ring with a nugget of truth that makes us wonder how far off they are from actually making their way onto our shelves.
See for yourself. Making their way into our inboxes this week alone were press releases announcing the following…
Carbonate your own drink with SodaStreamMe
The SodaStreamMe was announced as an on-the-go bottle you blow into, with the excess CO2 released supposedly carbonating the drink. The funny part? It’s said to be a cure for people who suffer from excess levels of CO2, causing them to burp.
Featuring American astronaut Scott Kelly, who has spent the most time in space on a single mission, the accompanying infomercial ran with the tagline: “One small burp for man, one sparkling leap for mankind.”
Virtual smelling and tasting with Pick n Pay’s TasteTech app
Described as going live the morning of April Fool’s Day, after “two years in development,” the TasteTech in-app functionality is said to allow customers to taste and smell food though their phone.
The release also included a video of “the team behind the creation of this world-first app functionality allowing customers to taste and smell food through their phone”:
The real clincher? The release mentions that the next phase will be the launch of an all-encompassing ‘online-dining’ taste experience of the top five recipes in the brand’s monthly Fresh Living, from 1 April 2020.
Business Insider published an overview, stating “the video of people smelling their phones is hilarious.”
While both news releases were tasted with a strong pinch of salt from our team, there’s no denying this type of innovation may well be a reality for retailers in future. Until then, let’s embrace the creativity.
About Leigh Andrews
Leigh Andrews AKA the #MilkshakeQueen, is former Editor-in-Chief: Marketing & Media at Bizcommunity.com, with a passion for issues of diversity, inclusion and equality, and of course, gourmet food and drinks! She can be reached on Twitter at @Leigh_Andrews.
