April Fools’ Day 2026: the best and cringiest pranks

The Verge • April 1, 2026 • business

Key Points:

April Fools’ Day presents challenges for brands, especially those with social media, internet, or AI chatbot presence, due to the risk of negative reactions to hoaxes.
Companies have four main options for April Fools’ in 2026: abstain entirely, create a joke that they actually follow through on, clearly label the joke as a joke, or deceive customers with false announcements.
Abstaining or doing something productive is recommended over wasting resources on jokes that may annoy or confuse audiences.
Jokes that are followed through on or clearly identified as jokes tend to avoid backlash, while deceptive pranks often result in annoyed customers and little positive publicity.
Readers are encouraged to share notable April Fools’ stunts, whether positive, negative, or unusual.