Here's the only roundup you need of what big brands did for April Fools' Day
April Fools' Day is a fun, low-key holiday full of well-crafted pranks that never fail to entertain.
Sorry, that's not actually true. April Fools!
The day has actually been so overrun with half-baked marketing stunts from every corner of the corporate universe that the Internet has pretty much come to a consensus that this is a garbage holiday filled with dull lies and awkward fumbles toward humor.
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That's not to say that a few brands aren't able to rise above the fray every year and pull off some truly clever hijinks.
Google, for one, has been famous for its yearly pranks since the early days of the company --though this year it was forced to pull one after an embarrassing backfire, proving that even the most practiced brands can't always get it right.
Adobe's fake "Ansel-o-Matic" LightRoom feature, H&M's Mark Zuckerberg collection and Google's Actual Reality headset stood out as particularly well-executed -- if only because they actually tried to have a real punchline.
Hamburger Helper's surprisingly good rap mixtape also won over Twitter with its elaborate attention to detail.
But the hits are few and far between in a sea of mediocrity and empty attention-mongering.
The most popular themes this year seemed to be apolitical jokes about how horrible the presidential election is, fake "X for cats or dogs" services and brands who have nothing to do with dating launching dating sites.
We've collected all of the brands trying to trip you up this Friday in a running list below to be updated throughout the day.
For an even more complete picture of all the April Fools' nonsense out there, check out the scam-busting work of Mashable's #April1TruthSquad on Twitter.
Gmail launched, and then pulled, a "mic drop" feature that ruined a lot of people's emails
Hulu launched a dating app called HuluDatr
Esurance is selling "election insurance" for dissatisfied voters who want to move away
Hamburger Helper dropped a shockingly good mixtape
Progressive launches a fake news story generator
Adobe unveils an Ansel-o-matic LightRoom feature that replaces your photos with Ansel Adams masterpieces
Texas is getting its own currency adorned with the mug of country legend Willie Nelson
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ZipRecruiter launched a program to give babies jobs
Sony launches a proton pack from Ghostbusters
Google Cardboard Plastic lets you experience actual reality
'SnoopaVision' gives 360-degree videos the one thing they were missing: Snoop Dogg
Guinness debuts a clear brew called "Guinness Glan"
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Beauty brand NYX launches "Woke up like this" makeup with 124-hour coverage
Vimeo launches a print zine
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ThinkGeek offers a rocket made from Diet Coke and Mentos
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Glad launches plastic wrap swimwear for people
Pornhub has become Cornhub with nasty, hot corn videos
Groupon launches a storytelling and ride share service for cats
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GrubHub launches Gruber, a service that delivers people
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FreshDirect introduces Space Salt, a seasoning sourced from meteorites
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Airbnb launches Lairbnb, a sinister home rental service for super villains
Zappos launches a "heat-activated technology" that maps an image of your foot
Tumblr is holding a mock-presidential election between four of its power users
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Petco is selling a puppy podium for canine presidential candidates
Expedia is partnering with "Ginge-Air," an airline that caters exclusively to redheads
Solopress has a new pheromone-infused business card
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Lexus offers V-LCRO tech for a tighter connection between car and driver
Language learning software Duolingo rolls out a smart pillow that will teach you a language in your sleep
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Virgin Air America debuts a voluptuous new logo
Mattel renames Juneau, Alaska after its Uno card game
H&M now has a Mark Zuckerberg collection of T-shirts and blue jeans
Yahoo duped people into thinking Trader Joe's was going out of business -- then deleted the post
Moshi made a floating portable speaker
Roomba maker iRobot made an actual robotic vacuum cleaner that can do Zumba
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Sephora created an in-store video game station
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Quilted Northern is introducing artisanal toilet paper
ZipCar is using selfies to match people up with cars
Trulia is helping people avoid hipster neighborhoods
OpenTable is rolling out photos you can taste
Google is launching a self-driving bicycle in the Netherlands
Gift delivery service Man Crates Labs has figured out how to resurrect meat from extinct animals
Lyft had the Golden State Warriors' Andre Iguadala mess with teammate Festus Ezeli
The National Geographic will stop publishing pictures of "nude animals"
McDonald's is launching a monthly subscription service
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White Castle is delivering sliders by drone
Samsung is developing 'Internet of Trousers' pants that connect to the Internet
Imgur is launching a site where pets can post pictures of humans
Kellog's debuts Frosted Flakes-flavored milk
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Craftsman is making a kitchen chainsaw
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5-Hour Energy is launching a dog food brand
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Zoosk is launching a dating site based on burrito preferences
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Burger King is individually wrapping fries
Funny or Die was hacked by North Korea
T-Mobile rolls out a binge-watching headset
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Topics Advertising
Patrick Kulp is a Business Reporter at Mashable. Patrick covers digital advertising, online retail and the future of work. A graduate of UC Santa Barbara with a degree in political science and economics, he previously worked at the Pacific Coast Business Times.
