April Fool’s Day 2016: Here are the internet’s most groan-inducing gags
April Fool's is the best day of the year for bored product designers: all the bonkers inventions that would never pass the pitching stage have made it onto the internet this morning.
Here's our round-up of the best jokes the ad-men and women have thrown at us so far today.
1. Lyst's rainbow chickens
Fashion ecommerce site Lyst today announced it was starting a new project to breed multi-coloured "silkie" chickens – an April Fool's gag so good we wish it were true. Each "fabulous fowl" is created by Lyst's data science team and lay three pom poms a day in eight different colours. Obviously, they're being hand-reared by fashion interns…
Lyst's idea was apparently a solution to the increase in demand for pom poms; it found searches for the fluffy accessories were up 680 per cent in the last 3 months.
2. To maternity and beyond: Nasa and Mumsnet team up
Mumsnet promised us space travel for infants today as it unveiled plans to find the "perfect mother-and-baby" team to blast into space.
The search was to be a collaboration with Nasa and the European Space Agency – which obviously have nothing better to do. The successful infant would be testing "the viability of space travel for infants" because "humankind will, at some point, require an alternative habitable planet". Nappy changing might prove tricky…
3. BMW Baby Boots
BMW never disappoints with its annual April Fool's ad, and this year was no different. If the ad-makers for Johnson's baby wipes teamed up with a German car company, this is what it would look like: an ad for "baby boots" to stop toddlers falling over. The shoes have "intelligent, dynamic control" and "improved traction for toddling around corners". We challenge anyone to make it through the minute-long video without cringing.
3. "Tase & save" from First Direct
Retail bank First Direct came up with another product which might genuinely be useful in real life: wearable technology "Save Zap", which lets customers set GPS locations on an app where they shouldn't spend their money. Whenever they get close to the location, a band "zaps" them as a helpful reminder to put their wallet away.
4. i-Dodge from Firebox
Out to solve one of the biggest problems of the 21st century, Firebox announced a radical new product this morning in response to research showing 17 per cent of adults have crashed into something while looking at their iPhone.
The i-Dodge phone case lights up whenever you're about to bump into something – the perfect solution for all those commuters rushing through London with their eyes glued to their emails.
Also on its April Fool's product list: "Netflix & Grill" – a delivery service that you can add to your Netflix account so you don't starve when you Netflix & Chill (although we're not sure food is what's on most people's minds during that particular activity…).
5. Talking shoes from Virgin Active
Among a plethora of gag press releases from Virgin this morning was Virgin Active's footwear, which it described as "the future of personal training": personal trainers which shout at you during your workout. And, as if motivational shoes weren't bad enough, it also chucked in locking laces that won't untie until you've burned 200 calories. Eeek.
6. Rowse's buzzing idea
The only thing we dread more than exercise is wasps – hence Rowse's "Wasp Honey".
Ali Kirk, brand manager at Rowse Honey, gave the bravest defence of wasps we've ever heard: "At Rowse Honey we see the Natural Wonder in all insects – not just bees. Historically wasps have a bad reputation however we think they've got a lot to bring to the breakfast table.
"We anticipate it will sell out quickly as shoppers swarm to get hold of the latest food trend." Groan.
