During lunch, we published the news about the E-box, a subscription service where customers would receive boxes filled with unsold goods and returns. Our CEO Niclas Albäck promised defective drones and broken solar panels in various subscription levels. Now we can confirm that neither the "Startup-box" nor the "Unicorn-package" will be shipped from the basement warehouse.
However, our own prank was far from the only one that brought smiles to the industry during the day.
Looking closer at how other companies chose to celebrate April 1st, we find creative initiatives.
Among e-commerce companies, clothing brand Ciszere chose to focus locally. The company published a press release claiming they had sewn a nine-meter-long bespoke shirt in size XXXXXXXXXXL.
According to the joke, the purpose was to dress Borås' famous city symbol, the Pinocchio statue. They claimed the work had required over 400 hours of sewing and 150 rolls of cotton fabric to withstand the West Coast weather. In reality, it was a well-staged prank. The company's founder, Johan Forsberg, says the staff wanted to carry out a standout project this year after skipping the tradition for the past two years.
At Ciszere, we have always said that we dress everyone, regardless of size or background. But we recently realized that one of Borås' most famous figures has been walking around a little too lightly dressed through thick and thin, says Johan Forsberg to Ehandel.se jokingly.
The development of the idea began with the staff gathering to brainstorm a concept. The goal was to find an angle that combined humor with credibility, while also being relevant to the city.
When we come up with ideas, it often starts with the whole team sitting down and brainstorming freely. The ceiling is high and many thoughts are tossed back and forth. Some ideas are funny but difficult to implement in practice, so we always try to find a balance between humor, credibility and what is actually feasible.
The result of this year's meeting was the fictional initiative for the city's nine-meter-high landmark. To bring the idea to life and build the desired illusion, the company published moving material and distributed a press release filled with details about the craftsmanship.
The response has been beyond expectations. It is undoubtedly the biggest reaction we have received to any April Fool's joke so far. Many have contacted us and been convinced that it is real, which is of course a good sign that we have succeeded in finding an idea that feels credible, says Johan and continues:
The choice of Pinocchio has probably also played a big role, as it is a strong symbol here in Borås and something that most people have a relationship with, which means it lands directly with the audience. Many have probably also walked by and checked if the shirt actually suits him.
Snus, Protein Wine and Beauty Sleep
A common thread among many of this year's April Fool's jokes is the combination of everyday habits and a pursuit of time-saving.
The snus company announced that they had developed a global Snus Pass, a travel document that was said to give the user the right to cross the world's borders with unlimited amounts of snus. Building supply store XL-BYGG followed a similar track by presenting a nicotine-free XL-prilla of 24 grams. The prilla was said to last throughout a working day and was flavored with spruce shoots and birch sap.
For personnel in craft professions, Byggmax launched the product Byggkaffe, an instant coffee adapted for workplaces where only a kettle is available. Vinoteket presented a product for the fitness enthusiast through Protevin, an alcohol-free protein powder developed to taste like red, white, sparkling or rosé wine.
In beauty and health, Kronans Apotek introduced Skrattkrämen (Laughter Cream). The cream was said to activate the muscles around the mouth during the night so that the user would automatically wake up with a smile. For people seeking mental recovery, Kiviks Musteri offered a subscription service where private individuals could rent their own apple tree for 500 SEK per year. The service included quiet companionship with the tree for stress reduction, as well as a live broadcast for digital presence.
Daycare for Men and Political Department Stores
Humor also manifested itself in physical store environments and food. Rusta published a picture in its channels of "Rustas Gubbis" (Rusta's Guys), a section where customers could jokingly drop off their men while they shopped. The zone had a maximum limit of 90 minutes and offered football on TV, coffee and hot dogs as a reward upon pickup.
In another part of society, the Social Democrats entered retail by announcing that the party headquarters on Sveavägen 68 in Stockholm would be rebuilt into the department store MAUN. The assortment included products such as the blackout curtain ULF and a Swedish sausage named EBBA.
Finally, Malmö Chokladfabrik showed a creative solution to raw material production. The company claimed they had developed an egg with a brown yolk, which was said to be the result of hens being fed with organic cocoa nibs.