Honda

Ah, April Fool’s Day ; 24 hours when we’re all on edge waiting for t he next big prank.

There was a time when it was all about fooling your nearest and dearest, from switching their food to give them a shock when they take a bite to surreptitiously sticking embarrassing notes to their back.

Nowadays, though, it’s a day that largely belongs to brands.

Businesses from all sorts of industries pull out their best hoaxes, to the point it’s hard to know what to believe come April 1.

Fear not, as we’ve compiled the best, weirdest, and silliest tricks you’ll come across this April Fool’s Day.

Keep your wits about you and your gullibility in check, and hopefully you’ll make it through the day without being the butt of the joke.

Babybel turns square

The circular snacking cheese brand announced plans to shapeshift this April Fool’s Day, apparently as Babybel is deemed to be ‘too fun’ and in need of a more ‘mature’ image.

after it came to light that the brand is deemed ‘too fun’, the decision has been made to change to a new, more ‘mature’ shape.

‘When it comes to our cheese, we’re not messing around and think it’s time to cater for a more serious audience,’ explained a Bel UK spokesperson.

‘Therefore, we have made the bold decision to announce we are making the biggest change to Babybel in our history to become square and are excited to be making even bigger changes this year.’

Thorpe Park launches pop-up for shoes lost on rollercoasters

During its annual spring clean, Thorpe Park claimed to have discovered over 2,000 pairs of shoes that visitors had lost on its rollercoasters.

As a result, the theme park declared the launch of The Lost Souls Pop-Up, a secondhand vintage footwear store where shoppers can pick up unclaimed shoes at bargain prices.

Store manager, Clair Jordans, commented ‘The trainer resale market is booming with many collectors being unable to track down their favourite pairs, making the Lost Souls Pop-Up a must-visit this Spring.’

Tinder bans fish pictures

Dating app Tinder is saying enough is enough to fish pic with its April Fool’s prank, declaring that profiles will be moderated to ban the ubiquitous ‘man holding up catch of the day’ photos.

After a recent study revealed 92% of singles reported ‘getting the ick’ when coming across a potential match’s angling snap, Tinder proclaimed that all fish-related content would be removed within 24 hours.

The company says the move will make it ‘easier than ever for members to reel in a catch.’

Toolstation creates paintbrush that goes round corners

This joke invention is pretty much the April Fool’s version of sending an apprentice off for tartan paint.

Toolstation has teamed up with Hamilton For The Trade to reimagine decorating and create (at least in theory) the world’s first Round The Corner Brush, featuring a u-shaped handle that extends to a metre in length.

‘We are so excited at this evolution in paint brushes,’ says Sarah Coussens, Head of Marketing for Hamilton. ‘We’ve achieved the dream here – paint round corners without having to move around the wall!’

Jeweller unveils first ever hot cross Bun engagement ring

Ahead of Easter, jewellery brand Jessica Flinn has come up with a seasonal way to propose.

The hot cross bun engagement ring is said to be a world first, boasting a cross of baguette-cut white diamonds with a salt and pepper stone and a cluster of cognac diamonds in the middle.

To top it off, marquise-cut black diamonds play the part of raisins in this tasty piece, while ‘cross my heart and hope to tie’ is engraved on the inside.

Despite being a fun invention, the made to order ring is available to buy for real , packaged in a bun-scented mini egg box and priced at £3,990.

LNER renames Azuma train Trainy McTrainface

Remember Boaty McBoatFace ? LNER is aiming to go one better this April Fool’s by renaming an Azuma train Trainy McTrainface.

The name of the vehicle, which is part of a fleet of 65, was allegedly chosen by customers as part of a 2020 competition.

If you’re gutted it’s not real, though, there is an official Trainy McTrainface you can travel on in Sweden .

Malibu and Irn Bru team up to create Mali-Bru

The sunny Caribbean is about as different a climate as you can get from Scotland, but that doesn’t mean they can’t join forces for the sake of the day.

Malibu has teamed up with Irn Bru to create Mali-Bru, which is said to evoke ‘white sandy beaches, iron girders, and a sun-kissed Cumbernauld.’

The drinks giants will be giving customers the chance to get their hands on a can of the limited edition concoction, and it’ll also be available in selected bars around Scotland. Perhaps if enough fans kick up a fuss, they’ll be forced to make the stunt a permanent addition to the range.

Mash Direct reveals cabbage and carrot perfumes

Many people enjoy gourmand fragrances, but this April Fool perfume line from Mash Direct is a tad more literal.

The company is apparently releasing a ‘unique’ perfume collection with scents including Red Cabbage and Beetroot Blast, Cool Carrot and Parsnip, and Green Cabbage.

Clare Forster, Head of Marketing at Mash Direct, said: ‘Everyone loves the smell of food so it made sense to bottle our delicious vegetable side dishes up in to something that can last much longer than a meal time whilst offering people something different to any other perfume out there.’

Plant based brand announces move into Rabbit Food

Moving Mountains is playing on plant-based patter by announcing a playful move into Rabbit Food.

The meat-free food company revealed in a statement: ‘This April, bunnies around the UK can enjoy delicious mini pellet versions of the iconic Moving Mountains plant-based burger or “Bunny Sized Burger Bites”.’

Maybe that’ll stop people making the same joke every time they see a vegan option on a menu…

Papa Johns launches pizza protein drink: Drool

According to Papa Johns’ marketing, the pizza chain will be launching a pizza-flavoured protein shake on April 1.

Drool comes in three flavours – Cheese and Tomato, All the Meats and The Vegan Works – so gym bunnies can get their pizza fix while protecting their gains.

Alternatively, you always could blend a slice into your post-workout protein drink.

Ocado creates cheesy edible candles

Cheese fiends will be upset to know that this is a hoax: Ocado’s foolishness this year was the announcement of a new line of fromage-filled edible candles.

The ‘Cheese and Kimchi Smelt’ combines mature cheddar and fermented cabbage and is bound together with a piece of toasted bread to keep everything secure.

Simply light your fragrant candle, let the filling melt, then dip or drizzle to your heart’s content.

The supermarket says it’ll be expanding its range of Smelt candles later in the year, with Burrata and Anchovy and Brie and Cranberry varieties on their way. We wouldn’t recommend holding your breath, though.

Honda AI technology blocks out driving distractions

Block out cries of ‘are we there yet?’ with Honda’s new piece of (fake) tech.

HUSH (Honda’s Ultra Quiet Sonic Hub) gives drivers the ability to drown out distracting sounds at the touch of a button by emitting customisable, continuous and progressive audio, with options including white noise, whale song and elevator music.

It’s also said to feature ‘child screaming recognition’ and AI-based identification of phrases like ‘you’ve missed the turn.’

Modern Milkman announces green milk

No, this milk isn’t sour. It’s actually a stunt from Modern Milkman, said to be made thanks to a bovine diet of ‘delicious and nutritious’ seagrass.

It’s apparently in response to the continued rise of traditional feed, and the dairy delivery firm say its cows have been indulging on a diet of the flowering plant – turning their milk a pretty pistachio shade.

Modern Milkman adds that its circular glass bottle reuse scheme means its milkround is even ‘greener than ever’.

Robinsons releases ham and pineapple squash

We expect controversy with this one; Robinsons is riling up foodies across the nation with its latest prank.

The brand announced it’s introducing a Succulent Ham and Juicy Pineapple flavour to its line-up on April 1, combining refreshing squash with the most divisive of pizza toppings.

Marketing Director Charlotte White says : ‘Robinsons customers have been crying out for us to expand our flavour offering to sweet and savoury combinations for years.

‘Ham and pineapple is a well-established flavour combination when it comes to pizza, so it was a no-brainer to bring that to the world of squash.’

Pizza Express launches savoury Easter Egg

There’s a number of pizza-themed pranks this year, including Pizza Express announcing the release of a limited edition Easter egg.

In the Padana and American Hot flavours, the 3D Pizza Egg is said to mirror the structure of a traditional egg – only instead of chocolate, it’s made from cheese and tomato sauce.

Faustino releases AI wine bottle that only opens when the vibe is right

Faustino, the largest vineyard owner in Rioja, revealed the advent of a new AI-driven wine bottle, just in time for April Fool’s

Faustino Futura including a vibe check function that only opens ‘when the vibe is right,’ a built-in speaker that feeds users conversation starters at dinner parties, and a feature that translates ‘wine jargon’ into Gen Z language.

Little Caesar’s debuts fish and chips pizza

Pizza again! This time it’s from Little Caesars, a chain that has branches all of the world, including one UK location in Derby.

Its April Fool’s effort is the Catch of The Day pizza inspired by the classic British dish, fish and chips.

The 12-inch pizza features a mushy pea base, salt and vinegar crust, and battered cod and chip toppings, all served with tartar sauce for dipping.

Little Caesars is planning to expand here in Blighty, with two stores in London and a store in Manchester and Liverpool set to open later this year. Presumably this is an attempt to appeal to our tastebuds, but it’s sort of working.

JOYclub says no thanks to dick pics

Sex positive platform JOYclub announced a new update to its app this week; technology that literally says no to dick pics.

Recipients of unsolicited images can activate a sound in the sender’s phone that loudly shouts, ‘No thanks, don’t be a dick,’ for one minute – even if they’ve put their handset on silent.

It’s a shame this one isn’t real, as it’d make a great deterrent for inappropriate messages.

Waitrose launches Mix Your Own Merlonay

Campo Viejo pipped Waitrose to the post with this same prank last year , but we’re still enjoying this fictional Merlonay.

The ‘mix your own rosé’ has red and white wines in the same bottle, and the supermarket advises customers to blend their own personalised drink.

Pura releases world’s first self-cleaning nappy

Getting our hopes all the way up, baby care brand Pura announced it had created the world’s first nappy that cleans itself.

The exact mechanisms of the revolutionary (and sadly imaginary) product have been kept under wraps, but founder Guy Fennell says it will be ‘an extraordinary technological development unlike anything the world has ever seen!’

Dulux replaces Old English Sheepdog mascot for King Charles Spaniel ahead of Coronation

The iconic Dulux Dog is being put out to pasture in favour of a more royal spokespup; the King Charles Spaniel.

The brand will likely devastate fans of the Old English Sheepdog mascot, a breed that has served as the face of Dulux for the last 60 years.

Thankfully it’s just a temporary retirement, however, and the change only applies to the Coronation Collection of paints.

Burger King adds Chilli Heatwave Doritos flavour to chicken fries range

This one gets a mention solely for the fact it doesn’t seem like an April Fool.

Burger King’s ‘prank’ is the release of Doritos Chilli Heatwave Chicken Fries, which it claims is ‘a match so good, it could almost be a joke.’

The collaboration is said to feature BK Chicken Fries with a spicy tortilla dusting- and it genuinely sounds like a tasty menu item, so we urge the powers at be to reconsider it for real.

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In the cool of the morning – the session ran from 8.00-9.00am local time – and with IndyCar having allowed extra downforce components this weekend, and drivers able to catch some strong tows, speeds looked startlingly good in the opening session.

Scott McLaughlin, who qualified and finished second in last year’s IndyCar round at TMS, was swiftly up to speed, clocking a 223.747mph lap in the #3 Team Penske entry, which equates to 23.169sec around the 1.5-mile oval in Fort Worth.

Chevrolet looked strong at this stage, with Pato O’Ward and Alexander Rossi also turning 223mph laps in their Arrow McLarens to run second and third, ahead of Colton Herta of Andretti Autosport-Honda.

Josef Newgarden, Penske’s defending Texas winner, was also looking strong, just ahead of Takuma Sato – in his first outing for Chip Ganassi Racing – and Ganassi’s five-time Texas winner, Scott Dixon.

Dixon briefly vaulted his part-time teammate but then Sato moved up to fifth, second fastest Honda driver, before pitting.

Also impressing at this stage was rookie Benjamin Pedersen, who with 15mins remaining, was in 11th for local team, AJ Foyt Racing. He eventually fell to 18 ^th , but teammate Santino Ferrucci took twelfth.

With 12mins to go, Felix Rosenqvist, last year’s Texas polesitter, made it three Arrow McLarens in the top five. Then with under five minutes to go, series sophomore Callum Ilott sprung his Juncos Hollinger Racing-Chevrolet into sixth, until Devlin DeFrancesco pushed him down with fifth best time.

The next time the cars are on track will be 11.15am local (Central) time for qualifying. There will then be a “high-line” practice to try and open up more grooves for tomorrow’s race, followed by an hour’s final practice.