Franchise Brands Get in on April Fool’s Day Fun

In case you haven’t noticed, it’s April Fool’s Day. Everyone mutually agreed to hit pause on this holiday in 2020 because let’s face it, no one could beat the terrible prank that was the pandemic. This year, pranksters everywhere decided enough was enough. 

One of the best parts of April Fool’s Day is watching what the world’s top brands come up with to trick their fans. Who will execute their pranks perfectly, and who will have to apologize tomorrow for going too far?

Here are some brands making waves today with their April Fool’s shenanigans.

Burger King - Sourdough Anything

From the Left-Handed Whopper to the Chocolate Whopper, Burger King is known for introducing some off-the-wall concepts on April 1st. This year is no different. Today also happens to be National Sourdough Day. So BK went all in, urging customers to order anything in a sourdough sandwich today, including chocolate chip cookies and mozzarella sticks. Although customers can’t actually get a Hershey Pie on sourdough, they can get the Sourdough King, which launched in late February.

McDonald’s UK - Three Fries

McDonald’s is on a mission to end french fry thievery, or so they say. The UK brand introduced the Three Fries portion “for your mates that ‘just want a few’”. After letting the prank simmer for a few hours, McDonald’s announced they are actually offering 50% off medium fries for the day.

Dunkin’ - Bacon, Egg and Cheese Brown Ale

Ever been curious about what breakfast tastes like in beer form? Harpoon Brewery, based in Vermont, launched an April Fool’s Day prank by announcing a new Limited Release Bacon, Egg Cheese Brown Ale brewed with real Dunkin’ sandwiches. Their website, complete with a full design mockup of the co-branded beer cans clarifies that this is indeed an April Fool’s prank and customers will have to look elsewhere for a breakfast brew.

711 - Brand Swap

711 - the nationwide convenience store - swapped Twitter and Instagram feeds with 90s rock band 311. The swap left some fans confused, but both accounts went all out. 711 played off of 311 lyrics to promote Slurpees and energy drinks, and 311 talked up taquitos and hot pizza. 711 and 311 both went so far as to re-style their profile pictures and header images to add an extra level of detail to the prank.