Panda resort in Singapore and curry lipsticks: Were you fooled by these April Fools' jokes?

Panda resort in Singapore and curry lipsticks: Were you fooled by these April Fools' jokes?

Consider this fair warning: It's the time of the year to watch your back for pranks and jokes once more.

But it doesn't have to be April for pranksters to make a fool out of us.

In Singapore and around the globe, some companies began their elaborate jokes way ahead of time, hoping to ride on the funniest day of the year to grab some attention on social media.

Here are a few we came across:

1) Fulfill your Kai Kai & Jia Jia dreams

Ever wanted to live the life of a panda? ''The Pandanctuary' was a creation of local delivery service Foodpanda, which claimed it was offering a unique retreat experience at Studio M Hotel.

Not only did they promise panda-themed rooms, the company also boasted bamboo-focused cuisine specially created by Jamie's Italian Singapore.

The prank was elaborately planned and they even went out of their way to film a video to promote it.

Although it isn't real, we kind of wished it was real. Some panda-style R&R could be just what panda-loving Singaporeans need to recover from their hectic lifestyles.

2) A perfect invention for kiasu travellers

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/flyscoot/photos/a.241287689264100.58604.195291693863700/1360201897372668[/embed]

Ever wished you could bring all your essentials on your carry-on luggage without stowing them away in the cabin above?

This velcro suit "invented" by Scoot is made for you - except it isn't real.

In a Facebook post, the budget airline said its "Savvy Savers Collection" velcro suit made of "super-sticky, ultra-grippy technology" can carry up to 15kg of items. Scoot also said it would retail these special suits at a special discounted pre-order price of $29.99 for the first 100 customers.

Sounds handy and useful, but do we really wish this was real? Perhaps it would be perfect for kiasu travellers, but we can't get over how "obiang" it looks.

3) Love curry? Put it on your lipstick!

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/NeoGardenCatering/posts/10155114791253670:0[/embed]

Here in Singapore, where millions of people live to eat, curry is a mainstay in many homes. From curry puffs to fish head curry, Singaporeans from all walks of life love the taste of curry.

It is no wonder then, that home-grown catering company Neo Garden Catering has decided to jump on the April Fools' bandwagon - we think, with their own take on curry.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/NeoGardenCatering/posts/10155111034308670:0[/embed]

Announcing a new venture into cosmetics, Neo Garden said it would be releasing its first lipstick, Curry Bombshell, in the taste and colour of - you guessed it - curry chicken!

With this new product, Neo Garden gave us hope that we could soon look pretty while also taste the flavours of chilli, lemongrass and coconut on our lips. We hope it's smudge-free!

Unfortunately, this #curryfever may not be. We're guessing the hundreds of social media users who left comments to enter a competition to win the Curry Bombshell will be disappointed.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/NeoGardenCatering/videos/10155114732963670/[/embed]

Update: Neo Garden has just announced a winner for their Curry Bombshell on their Facebook page. Could the joke be on us instead?

4. 'Amazon Singapore' launches new website

We were ready to call this one out even before its 'official launch' on April 1.

In an email, shopping site iPrice.sg promised us the 'exclusive' first images of Singapore's first Amazon website on April 1, which already got our suspicions up.

The giveaways (besides the fact that the companies would be competitors)? The site samples we received featured images of a 'Merlion Echodot' product, and descriptions in Singlish like 'Just Ask Lah'. 

"Test reviewers said Amazon.sg was the best thing that happened to them since the invention of the smartphone," added the press statement. Mmm-hmm. 

Photo: iPrice Singapore

5. Burger King's Whopper toothpaste

Thanks for the laugh, Burger King.

It's the "first toothpaste that keeps your mouth Whopper fresh", goes the tagline of this commercial, released just three days before April 1.

The product will allegedly be made available at BK's French outposts and pharmacies overseas, as noted by AdWeek. Right.

Smell a rat? So did we. But props to the fast food chain for the effort and creativity. And honestly, a Whopper-tasting toothpaste doesn't sound half bad.

Yeah well, maybe not.

Watch the hilarious ad here:

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fCRqsQBvPY[/embed]

Too wacky to be true? Air Asia's Dance to Fly campaign

And here's one which probably isn't a prank, though it sounds like it would make a good one.

Bust some Britney moves and get a chance to fly for free to Hawaii?

Sounds iffy, but we have reason to believe it to be true, given Air Asia's penchant for wacky humour. [embed]https://www.facebook.com/AirAsiaSingapore/posts/1520541851309712[/embed]

The campaign starting April 3 is apparently inspired by one of AirAsia X’s cabin crews, Assraf Nasir, who became an overnight online sensation after a video of him dancing onboard an empty A330 aircraft went viral across the globe. We'll leave you with the link here if you want to check it out.

Remember these?

Jetstar Singlish Flight (2016)

Jetstar Asia adopted Singlish as its official language for April Fools' Day last year. The cabin and flight crew were filmed taking classes on how to speak like a true blue Singaporean.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/JetstarAsiaAirways/videos/10153606488132582/[/embed]

Zalora (2015)

There is nothing much to say about this April Fools' prank except for: it's not you, it's them. Those who caught on quickly would know that the "video" posted by fashion retailer Zalora is actually just a graphic that resembles a video replay icon.

We bet many people were tricked into clicking on a video post that would never play. Good game, Zalora!

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/06Z0Nlp8n6/[/embed]

Google's Pokemon Master (2014)

Google outdid themselves in 2014 by introducing an augmented reality game based on Pokemon way before Pokemon Go was released.

"To catch 'em all, grab your Poke Ball and the newest version of Google Maps for iPhone or Android. Then tap the search bar, "press start," and begin your quest," the tech giant said then.

The prank later came alive when Niantic created and released Pokemon Go in 2016.

a1admin@sph.com.sg

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