From Butterfinger Top Ramen to cheese Smarties, food companies had some outlandish pranks for this year's April Fools’.
The faux holiday is a chance for food companies to connect with consumers by playfully reimagining a brand or lightly poking fun at ongoing trends. But it's also a way to test potential new launches in a relatively low-stakes setting — if a fake product generates enough online buzz, that may be enough to convince a company to make it real.
For example, Ferrero in February released a Dr. Pepper Tic Tac, following up on a joke made last April Fools’ that sparked real demand among consumers. In prior years, Kraft Heinz released a Claussen pickle cocktail based on an April Fools’ prank and Burt's Bees turned a fake collaboration with Hidden Valley Ranch into reality.
This year, brands are riffing on big trends like protein and pickles while also teasing out-of-the-box collaborations and unbelievable flavor launches. Here's a look at some of the food companies' best April Fools’ Day pranks this year, a few of which could become very real in the near future.
Pickles meet protein
Protein and pickles have infiltrated the grocery aisle over the past few years. Now, Premier Protein and Claussen Pickles are teaming up to bring both fads together with protein-packed pickles.
Claussen Protein Pickles claims to offer 30 grams of protein in what the two companies are calling "a big dill" of a launch. With Bellring-owned Premier Protein noting that mentions of “protein-maxxing” are up 185% quarter-over-quarter, the launch is meant to reimagine "the growing demand for high-protein foods."
Pop-Tarts and Red Lobster team on cheddar biscuit pastries
Cheddar biscuits for breakfast? Pop-Tarts and Red Lobster are teaming on a sweet-meets-savory collaboration combining the toaster pastry with the restaurant chain’s iconic cheddar biscuits.
Pop-Tarts Cheddar Bay Biscuit Toaster Pastry turns the “buttery, garlicky, cheddar-filled seafood icon” into a breakfast pastry. The stunt, designed to spark a “love it” or “hate it” debate among the internet, plays into growing demand for unusual flavor combinations such as sweet and savory (swavory) or sweet and tangy (swangy).
Halls dig deep with Grandma's purse flavor
Grandma always seemed to have just what you needed in her seemingly bottomless purse. The 133-year-old Halls cough drops brand is channeling that nostalgic memory with “a cheeky” flavor called Grandma’s Purse.
Halls, which is owned by Mondelēz International, said the flavor was inspired by the fact that its lozenges are always showing up in the most random of places, most notably Nana's “pocket book” purse. The cough drops are “aged to perfection,” with a taste of lavender and lint.
Laffy Taffy goes bananas
Laffy Taffy is hoping consumers find its April Fools’ joke a-peeling.
The Ferrara-owned candy brand, known for the jokes inside the wrappers, is coming up with its own joke for its latest flavor: Ripening Banana Laffy Taffy Mini Bars. The fake product uses the “first-of-its-kind ripening technology,” to ripen the banana from green to yellow to brown, just like the real fruit.
Ferrara said banana is one of its most popular flavors and a “strong performer” for the Laffy Taffy brand, prompting the company to launch the offering.
Cup Noodles become self care
Want ramen-inspired locks? Nissin-owned Cup Noodles is giving hair care routines a tasty upgrade with Cup Noodles Heatless Curls Kit.
The overnight curl kit features noodles as flexible rods and a lightweight Broth Boost setting spray. After keeping the rods in their hair overnight, consumers will wake up with the "perfect ramen waves – no hot water needed."
Smarties say ‘Cheese’
Smarties candy is partnering with Cabot Creamery for a cheesy April Fools’ joke. The dairy company and confectionery brand introduced Seriously Smart Cheese, or “the world’s first cheddar-forward candy tablet.”
The fictional snack transforms Cabot's Seriously Sharp Cheddar into a Smarties-sized disk. The cheese is supposedly pulverized into a fine powder before being reshaped into a candy tablet.
"We set out to make cheddar more portable. We may have overachieved,” Cabot said in a statement.
Top Ramen sweetens up to Butterfinger
Top Ramen is adding some sweet to its salty classic ramen noodles with the help of Ferrero’s Butterfinger.
Top Ramen Butterfinger boasts a peanut butter glaze with real chunks of the popular candy bar. The partnership aims “to bring the crispety, crunchety goodness,” to Nissin-owned Top Ramen, a brand with a reputation for consumer customization.
Goldfish blushes pink
Goldfish are turning iridescent pink in a collaboration with Olive & June nail polish.
The Campbell's Company-owned brand teased a “Pink Goldfish Goldfish” based on Olive & June's best-selling Pink Goldfish nail polish color. The launch is "a playful beauty-meets-snack mashup designed to bring the smiles."
