In the days leading up to April 1, companies, retailers, and ad agencies have been rolling out a new batch of April Fool's Day pranks on unsuspecting consumers.
From bacon-flavored mouthwash to spray-on skinny jeans, a Google smelling feature to a new military program that will employ cats, this year's pranks are hilarious and outrageous.
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Here's a roundup of some of this year's best pranks:
1. Google Nose
Now bringing the power of smell to search,
Google described its Google Nose product as "the sharpest olfactory experience available." A wet dog's scent, for example, is described as "aggressive and foxy with notes of musk, wet towel."
The app looks so legitimate it had many Google users fooled.
"HAHA, they totally got me!" Dona Capari commented on the YouTube promo. "Good job Google!"
2. Military Working Cat Program
The Army published a lengthy press release on its site Monday detailing its new program that will pair "military working cats" with military police in an effort to cut down on spending.
"It's better to use these cats because they are a lot quieter, sneakier, and quicker than most of our dogs," said Sgt. 1st Class Tyler Radmall, platoon sergeant, 947th Military Police [MP] Detachment, 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard). "They will also be able to get into some of the smaller crawl spaces to sniff out bombs if necessary."
A photo of one of the cat soldiers was posted with the release, the head a photoshopped image of the popular Internet meme Grumpy Cat.
"No cats were harmed in the writing of this story," he release read. "Happy April Fools!"
3. American Eagle's Skinny Skinny Jeans
Teen clothing retailer American Eagle launched its new line of "Skinny Skinny" jeans last week
with a promotional YouTube commercial. The jeans are so skinny, in fact, they appear to be painted on, and therein lies the joke.
On the American Eagle website, the product listing for the skinny skinny jeans shows not pants but cans of paint billed as the "skinniest fit yet."
American Eagle copped to the prank on its blog Sunday.
4. Scope Bacon Sizzle Mouthwash
Proctor & Gamble Scope introduced its new bacon-flavored mouthwash
Scope product on its website and on YouTube last week.
Consumers are still confused as to whether the bacon sizzle mouthwash is the real deal or just another April Fool's prank.
5. YouTube Shutting Down
YouTube announced Sunday that its site will shut down April 1 for a decade as its staff reviews all the videos posted to the site and decides the ultimate winner.
"We're so close to the end," explains YouTube's "Competition Director," Tim Liston, in the video's opening scene. "Tonight at midnight, YouTube.com will no longer be accepting entries. After eight amazing years, it is finally time to review everything that has been uploaded to our site and begin the process of selecting a winner."
The winner of the world's best video will walk away with an "MP3 player that clips to your sleeve and a $500 stipend for your next creative endeavor."
6. Twitter To Start Charging for Vowels
The micro-blogging site announced Sunday it will begin a two-tiered paid-service system for its users. Customers can either opt for the free "Twttr," where messages will be restricted to consonants only, or pay $5 for the premium version with vowels.
"We're doing this because we believe that by eliminating vowels, we'll encourage a more efficient and 'dense' form of communication,"
a release on Twitter's blog read. "Because our users come first, we believe that 'Y' should always be free to everyone — today and forever."
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