Not everything is a joke today: the creative things that companies are doing to connect with users on April Fools’ Day
Traditionally, companies love to release special promotions and/or features on April Fools’ Day…not surprisingly, 2011 is no exception.
Some companies are going old school:
-Hulu is reverting back to 1995-1996 by featuring episodes of popular shows, such as The X-Files, 21 Jump Street and the twenty-first season of Saturday Night Live. After clicking on the link to the series on the site, one hears a dial-up tone and sees an icon of a telephone connecting to wires until the show loads up, rather than the usual silent “buffering.”
-YouTube is featuring a retro version of their logo and trending videos from 1911, complete with silent movie music and animations to match.
Google, of course, had to join in on the fun:
-Try Googling “helvetica” today. Search results will appear in Comic Sans font.
-A button offering “Gmail Motion Beta” appears on the corner right of Gmail user accounts, accompanied by a 2-minute video demonstrating the new version
Another notable example:
Starbucks is promoting its new initiative, “Mobile Pour”, in which the company delivers you an arabica on the move, literally. All you need is your smart phone and a Starbucks app that tracks your location—a barista on wheels will then deliver you a drink!
Happy April Fools’ Day!
