LONDON: We live in an era when, more often than not, reality can be stranger than fiction — when a quick perusal of the newspapers, a glimpse at the TV or a browse of our social media profiles could see us fall foul of the dreaded “fake news” trap.
So, you have to feel for the people who forgot the date and failed to see an April Fools’ Day joke when it hit them right between the eyes. Here are a few pranks that had social media users without a sense of humor fooled this year.
1. The Google tulip
Google in the Netherlands gave its users a way to talk to the country’s national flower through its Home device, and have it talk back by offering advice about getting more light, space, and water in “Tuplish.” Not one for any “budding” horticulturalists.
2. Emirates’ driverless drones
Dubai’s flagship airline tweeted about their chauffeur-less drones that would fly two people in first-class, private suites between any location in Dubai and Dubai International Airport from April 2020. Unfortunately for UAE residents, it was just a pie in the sky idea.
3. Audio books for fish
Amazon’s Audible service took to social media to offer a brand new three-second audio book service — for pet goldfishes. All to keep the animals entertained while their owners were out, the company launched a dedicated website with the caption: “Get hooked on Audible for Fish.” A fishy tale indeed …
4. Namshi Falcons
UAE-based Namshi promised its customers a three-hour service on deliveries thanks to its new 390 km per hour falcon service, having apparently spent nine months working with expert falconers and training a select group of birds to delivery packages less than 500g. A flight of fancy, we’re sure.
