April Fools Day has become a calendar moment for brands to flex their creative muscles and land a moment in the spotlight. In 2025, UK brands went all out, with some winning headlines and others raising eyebrows.
From footlong-flavoured shakes to driverless toilets, here’s a look at four of this year’s most talked-about campaigns and what they reveal about what makes an April Fools stunt actually work.
“Subwhey” protein shakes
First up, Subway made waves with its launch of “Subwhey” protein shakes, a tongue-in-cheek nod to fitness culture with flavours like Meatball Marinara and B.M.T. The concept was bang on-brand, merging its fast-food roots with a health-conscious twist that felt current and cheeky.
It caught fire on social media, with plenty of fitness influencers and fans weighing in. However, the execution leaned heavily on Instagram and TikTok, which meant it never quite made the leap into broader media coverage.
“Creme Egg On The Goo”
Cadbury, teased fans with “Creme Egg On The Goo”—a squeezable sachet of its iconic fondant designed to be used as a condiment. The images were gloriously over-the-top, showing chips and toast smothered in goo, which helped it take off online.
But it did toe a fine line: some people genuinely wanted to buy it, and when they realised it wasn’t real, there was a bit of backlash. That’s the challenge with a convincing prank, you’ve got to find the right moment to let people in on the joke.
Walkers packaging colours
Meanwhile, Walkers ruffled some feathers with a prank that threatened to swap the packaging colours of its Cheese & Onion and Salt & Vinegar crisps. This stemmed from historical controversy in which many Brits believed that Walkers once swapped the colours back in the mid-90s.
The campaign spanned across OOH billboards, social posts and made national press. The beauty of this was how it tapped into the emotional loyalty people feel for their favourite flavours. This showed the power of an idea that taps into cultural habits and national debates, however small they may seem.
The “Mobilet”
And then there was Hyundai, who went all in with the “Mobilet”, a self-driving toilet that could be summoned via an app. Complete with facial recognition and ambient lighting, it was absurd in the best way. What made this one stand out was that it was fully realised – there was a mock video, detailed specs, and even faux-press material, it was a full-on concept launch!
However some people didn’t engage with it at all, dismissing it as nonsense, realising it was fake before they could even appreciate the work and creativity that had gone into it. It’s a reminder that even in parody, a touch of believability goes a long way.
A strong April Fools campaign isn’t just about coming up with a quirky idea, it’s about storytelling, platform synergy, and understanding how your audience consumes content. A brilliant LinkedIn stunt might go unnoticed on Instagram, and a tweet that tickles journalists may not mean much to everyday consumers.
The campaigns that land best are those that think beyond one touchpoint, weaving the joke through social, press, and influencer spaces, creating a moment that feels joined-up and genuinely fun. April Fools might be about trickery, but in marketing, it’s the truth of good, thoughtful planning that really gets people laughing.
At Prohibition, we’re all about creating campaigns that not only capture attention but create real engagement. If you’re ready to elevate your PR game and deliver something extraordinary, let’s chat! Drop us a line at hello@prohibitionpr.co.uk or give us a call on 0113 430 4160.
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