39 Hateful Hoaxes
From Fake Vampire News to YouTube Death Hoaxes:
Meghan Young — Oct 23, 2009 — Pop Culture
With the Balloon Boy still taking flight across all media channels, I’ve decided to compile a cluster of past hateful hoaxes TrendHunter.com has featured. Making headlines or making money, hoaxes will never cease to occur. But with our obsessive need for scandalous news, we are giving, at least some of these deceivers, exactly what they want. Bad publicity is still publicity, right?
38
Bigfoot Captured
Scientists to Reveal Bigfoot and DNA (Proof or Hoax?)
37
Video of Banksy's Paris Hilton Hoax
36
Morbid Candy
The Chocolate Newborn Hoax
35
Black Friday Ad Hoaxes
Best Buy, Future Shop, Circuit City Gift Card Email
34
Endangered Hair Color Hoaxes
Redheads Going Extinct?
33
Fake Vampire News
Twilight Filipino Adaptation is a Hoax
32
Hoax Hotelicopters
Faux Flying Hotel Sends Bloggers Who Don't Fact Check Into a Frenzy
31
Sexy 'Bluetoothing' Hoax Turns into Casual Dating (Sex?) Frenzy
30
$12000 Cash Only Meal?
The Suffolk Kitchen Knish Hoax
29
Suggestive Weight Loss Products
Is the Shake Weight Real, or Just a Well-Executed Hoax?
28
Hoax Hacks
Skullphone Fakes Digital Billboard Hijack
27
Guerrilla Marketing Gone Bad
Boston Hoax Turns Into Million Dollar Mishap
26
Deliberate Shortage
The Xbox Shortage Hoax of 2005
25
Serero Eiffel Tower Extension (UPDATE)
Le Grande Hoax
24
Mega Hoaxes
Biggest Drawing is a Fake
23
Viral Hoaxes as Art
Gallery Sells Prints of $999.99 iPhone App
22
Fake Memoirs
Herman Rosenblat's Holocaust Love Story Exposed as a Hoax
21
Engadget Hoax Drives Apple Stock Down $4 Billion
20
Cooking With Cellphones
Popcorn Popping Is Another Hoax
19
Cyborg Photography
Is The EyeCamera 4.1 With Wink and Shoot A Hoax?
18
Publicity Stunt Fails
Balloon Boy Saga Becomes the Falcon Heene Hoax
17
Inked Organs
Surgery to Tattoo Beating Hearts is a Hoax
16
Viral Hoaxes
Lost Brazilian Tribe Not Real
15
USB Pregnancy Tests
The p-Teq Hoax
14
Ancient Prank Texts?
The Voynich Manuscript Could Be The Hoax of the Century
13
Infect Your PC
Hundreds Click on Hoax Google Adsense Virus
12
Viral Career Hoaxes
"Best Job in the World" is a Fake Job in Alaska
11
Get Paid To Lose Weight
Hoax Website Offers $100 Per Pound
10
Global Warming A Hoax?
GM's Bob Lutz Talks To Colbert
9
UPDATE: Cooking Eggs with Mobile Phones a Hoax
8
YouTube For Hoax Debunking
Is Big Brother Watching? Hidden Camera In Digital TV Converter
7
Big Brand Hoaxes
BMW Dog Zapper
6
Email Hoaxes As Stories
‘Cry for Help: 36 Scam email messages from Africa'
5
Virus Gullibility
If Conficker Worm is Not An April Fool's Hoax, 15 Million PCs Could be Inf
4
Powdered Celebrity Skin
Famous Stardust (Hoax)
3
Viral Newspapers Hoaxes
1.2 Million 'New York Times' Fakes Handed Out
2
New Google Engine Predicts Future Searches
gDay MATE (HOAX)
1
Giant Public Turkey Stuffing
The 55 Ft Bird Basting Hoax
Related Ideas
Sour Candy Challenges
1UP Candy's Kit Challenges Sour Candy Fans to Keep a Straight Face
Film-Celebrating Pool Floaties
The Funboy x Barbie: The Movie Collection is Plastic and Fantastic
Phone-Free Festivals
This Never Happened is a Music Event Series and Festival Concept
Graphic-Adorned Summer Fashion Collections
Boys Lie's June Collection Drop Was Stunning
Teddy Bear Outerwear
Build-A-Bear Cuddly Couture Shares Cozy, Warm Styles
Doll-Like Selfie Generators
The Barbie Selfie Generator Turns Fans into Favorite Characters
Hater-Created Music Videos
Liquid Death's Greatest Hates Volume III Features Social Media Comments
Cartoon-Themed Apparel Collections
This 'Teletubbies' Apparel Collection is 90s and Y2K-Inspired
Rave-Inspired At-Home Manicures
Rave Nailz Boasts a Variety of Eye-Catching Nail Designs
Ingenious De-Influencing Ads
Cuyana's De-Influencing April Fool's Campaign Highlights Greenwashing
Uplifting Gen Z Fashion
Boohoo & Pantone Created a Collection for Mental Health Awareness Month
Distorted Burger Campaigns
Burger King's A.I.LLOWEEN Features Unsettling People Eating Burgers
Witty Toy-Brand Horror Posters
LEGO Presents a Range of Playful Horror Posters for the Season
Emerging Technology Publications
New Society Has Launched Its Inaugural Book About Technology
Apocalypse Post Pandemic Art
The Apocalypse Inspired a New Collection of Paintings by Mishfit
AI-Powered News Networks
Channel 1 Delivers Personalized News with AI-Generated News Anchors
Kidult Baby Shoes
MSCHF's Super Baby Collection Supersizes Chunky, Colorful Footwear
Fake Ketchup Campaigns
This Heinz Campaign Exposes "Ketchup Fraud"
Balloon Dog Cakes
This Cake Pays Homage to Jeff Koons' Balloon Dog Sculpture
Anti-Filter Beauty Campaigns
Dove is Inviting Social Media Users to Fight Digital Distortion
Provocative AR Campaigns
NotCo's 'Not So Happy Animals' Presents Food Logos in a New Light
Dynamic CGI Mascara Campaigns
Maybelline New York Unveils an Activation with a Giant Mascara
Emotional Support Plushies
WDYM Just Launched a New Doll for Kids and Its Called Ouch & Oops Plush
Horror Media Creation Games
In 'Content Warning,' Players Aim to Create Viral Horror Videos
AI Fact Generators
Snapple is Evolving its Fun Facts with the Snapple fAIct Generator
Mental Health-Protective Films
Dove's Cost of Beauty: A Dove Film Protects Teen's Mental Health
Beauty Crime Mockumentaries
e.l.f.'s Cosmetic Criminals is a True Crime Parody Documentary
Weather-Triggered 3D Ads
Volta Media Launches Interactive 3D OOH Ad Options for Marketers
Free Content Creation Platforms
'Piggy' Raised $7.7 Million to Launch its Platform on ProductHunt
Whimsical Inflatable Sneaker Concepts
UV-Zhu Uses Daily Objects for His Nike Concept Sneaker
Horror-Themed Overnight Experiences
The Warner Bros Icons of Horror Sees Iconic Wax Figures
Sweating Billboards
Netflix's Billboard Conveys the Intense Action of Extraction 2
Horror Film-Inspired Cookbooks
The Death for Dinner Cookbook by Zach Neil Has 60 Recipes
Kids' Money Management Books
'The Adventures of Ca$hman & Supersaver' Promotes Financial Awareness
Serotonin-Boosting Billboards
Soglar's Billboard Uplifts on the Most Depressing Day of the Year
AI-Aided Social Networks
Why Be Real Online when you can BeFake
Alternative Advent Calendar Products
Haribo Christmas Mishap Bingo Updates a Classic Product
Immersive Hybrid Billboards
Meta's Halloween Thrillboards Tease Immersive Meta Quest 3 Experiences
Slasher-Inspired Energy Products
G Fuel Debuted the Hack ‘n Slash Collector’s Box for Halloween
AI-Powered Content Generators
OwlyWriter is a Tool from Hootsuite for Creating Social Content Fast
Article-Generating AI Tools
Google's 'Genesis' Will Generate Articles Without Hallucinations
Extraterrestrial Influencer Campaigns
MoonPie's Alien Acquisition Shares Ads for Extraterrestrials
Charitable Loungewear Sets
Boys Lie Sought to Empower the LGBTQ+ Community During Pride Month
Communication-Based Immersive Exhibitions
Intuit Mailchimp and Design Museum Present Email is Dead
Fashionable Zombie Dolls
Zombaes Critter Chaos Dolls Have Spooky Mix-and-Match Features
Cringe-Worthy Photo Campaigns
Sour Patch Kids is Challenging Fans to Choose "Cringe or Candy"
Syringe-Based Billboards
Dove's Injectable Billboard Addresses Toxic Beauty Standards
Technology News Summaries
TechTok Helps Readers Stay On Top of News in Five Minutes
Athlete-Founded Nostalgic Bubblegum
Bubblegum Kids Was Founded NHL Player Zach Hyman & His Brother
Retro Family Photoshoots
Blue Bunny is Inviting Families to Pop-Up 90s-Themed Photoshoots
Wasteful Shopping Billboards
Not On The High Street's Billboards Highlight a "Don't Gift Guide"
Metaverse Thanksgiving Parades
Macy’s is Holding a Virtual Thanksgiving Day Parade
Villainous Board Game Campaigns
The Monopoly All is Fair Campaign Leans into Competition
Hangover-Fixing Pop-Ups
The Pho-Fix Shares Free Bowls of Pho and IV Drips
AI Horror Film Festivals
A.I.RHEADS SCAREFEST Shares Short Films Made with Artificial Intelligence
Quick-Burst Water Toys
NERF Better Than Balloons are Quick to Fill and Self-Sealing
Hidden Discrimination Books
'Throwaway Comments' Fights Microaggressions in the Workplace
Social Media Political-Content Limitations
Meta is Reducing Political Content Recommendations
90s Toy Holiday Trees
Furbtrees are Introducing the Next Generation of Furby Across the UK
Cheese-Colored Hair Dyes
Velveeta Gold Debuted on Amazon for April Fool's Day
CGI Beauty Avatars
A New Maybelline Mascara is Being Launched by the Brand's First Avatar
Customizable Halloween-Themed Treat Boxes
Halloween Sugarwish Boasts Customizable Gifting
Fued-Inspired Christmas Cards
Moonpig Unveils Its New AI-Powered Christmas Card Range
Savory Ice Cream Sandwiches
Nightingale x Pizza Hut Dreamed Up a New Snack for April Fool's Day
Accessible Streamed Retro Animes
Viz Media Makes Some of the Most Iconic Animes Accessible
Quickly Accessible Health Information
YouTube's Announced First Aid Information Shelves
Voice Actor Web Shows
Sony Launched a YouTube Channel with Aleks Le and Jonah Scott
Spicy Virtual Restaurants
The Hot Ones Pop-Up Restaurant Puts Taste Buds to the Test
Sentimental Holiday Ad Campaigns
Amazon's Joy is Made Campaign Evokes Holiday Emotion
Teen Positivity Apps
'Gas' is a Positivity-Focused Social Media Platform for Teens
Bread Bag Awareness Campaigns
The #TellTheWholeStory Campaign Raises Domestic Violence Awareness
Wasteful Fashion Campaigns
Vestiaire Collective Reminded People to Shop Mindfully on Black Friday
Flying Umbrella Prototypes
This Hands-Free Device Hovers Above You to Protect From the Rain
Champion Tax Ads
H&R Block's Ads Claim All Users are Tax Champions
Real Hair-Packed Voodoo Dolls
Liquid Death now Sells the Steve-O Voodoo Dolls with Real Hair
Magnetic Hand-Holding Socks
These Children's Socks Add a Touch of Whimsy to the Everyday Item
Blood Drive Beauty Campaigns
Lottie London's Blood for Beauty Encourages Gen Z to Give Blood
Tax-Season Online Campaigns
These Video Ad Spots Urge Canadians to Take Advantage Of Tax Benefits
Celeb-Starring VR Horror Films
Meta Launches Vanessa Hudgens-Starring 'Haunted House' Expereince
Reality-Bending Car Ads
CarGurus Ad Features Melting Lego and Gourmet Chef Toddlers
Human Candle Campaigns
These Human Statues of Candle Wax Bring Attention to Youth Burnout
Spooky Street Ad Experiences
These Fanta Halloween Projections Took Over a Busy Stockholm Street
Horrifying Paranormal Vodkas
Harridan Vodka Introduces the Haunting 'Paranormal Reserve' Vodka
Personalized Puppet Video Cards
This American Greeting SmashUp Video e-Card Has Cookie Monster
Horror-Themed QSR Short Films
The Jack In The Box 'Feeding Time' Short Film Offers Free Food
Flame-Grilled Billboards
This Fiery Billboard Promotes the Flame Grilled Whopper-Flavored Doritos
Halloween-Themed QSR Meal Containers
McDonald's Boo Buckets are Back in Several New Styles
Pizza Craving Campaigns
Domino's Pizza and WorkInProgress Launch the Emergency Pizza Campaign
Banned Books Campaigns
Penguin Random House is Hitting the Road with Three Other Organizations
Digital Audio-Visual Exhibitions
'Future Shock' by 180 Studios and FACT Magazine is Online
TikTok Star Streaming Collabs
TikTok star CelinaSpookyBoo Partners with Audible for a Podcast
Personalized Bed Time Reading
BlissFable Lets Kids Be the Protagonists of Their Own Stories
Gruesome Horror Film Soaps
The Terrifier Blood & Bubbles Soap is Officially Licensed
Interactive AR Galleries
Chips Ahoy's Happy By Design Campaign Spotlights Multicultural Artists
Youth Intern Social Stunts
Louis Vuitton Hires a 13 Year Old Intern After Sketches Went Viral
Authentic Asian-American Dolls
The Jilly Doll Celebrates Heritage & Builds Confidence Through Play
Passion-Sharing List Platforms
MyLikes Helps Users Share What They Enjoy with Curated Lists
Quirky eCard Platforms
Happiepages Has an Online Celebratory Card for Any Occassion
Empowering Visual Content Campaigns
Getty Images and Hiki Launches #AutisticOutLoud
Haunted Winchester Houses
Spirit Halloween Carves Out a Week of Surprises Ahead of Spooky Season
Law-Criticizing Ads
Liquid Death Highlights the Absurdity of a Georgian Law in a New Campaign
Personalized Cartoon Videos
Cameo Launches a Kid-Friendly Personalized Video Service
Spooky Personal Care Products
The Bath & Body Works Halloween Collection Has Almost 100 Items
Review-Based Marketing Campaigns
These Amazon Campaigns Bring Real Reviews To Life
Sporty Sympathy Cars
The Fireball Footbawl Cards Come with a Spicy Twist
AI Social Media Generators
Snowball FATG Can Help Create Viral Social Moments in Seconds
Unpredictable Festive Ad Campaigns
The American Red Cross Launches the New Snowfall Campaign
Anniversary-Honoring Holograms
Walt Disney Comes Back as a Hologram for Disney's 100th Anniversary
Mystery Search Engines
Mystery Search Shows You the Question of the Person Before You
Halloween Drone Deliveries
Manna Delivers Halloween Treats To Homes in Fort Worth, Texas
Halloween-Inspired Retail Capsules
Target Debuts a New Private-Label Halloween Capsule for October
Uplifting Virtual Influencer Collabs
The Lennnie x Dove Collab Promotes Body Positivity
Cheeky Parenting Prostration Books
'Horizontal Parenting' Offers Funny Yet Effective Activities
National Trafficking Awareness Ads
The See the Trafficking Signs Campaign Aims to Raise Awareness
AI-Powered News Reporters
The Sky News ChatGPT-Powered News Reporter Tests the Technology
Personalized Holiday Newsletters
Pics & Wishes is a Line of Multi-Media Greetings
Millennial-Targeted Gummy Candies
Rotten Gummy Worms are Inspired by 90s Gross-Out Culture
Kid-Friendly Joke Platforms
Knock Knock Jokes For Kids is a Safe Space for Children to Laugh
Blog Post Generators
Hubrank Helps Create Posts for Niche Topics with an Emphasis on Strong SEO
Wasp Perspective Beauty Campaigns
Boots Launches its Perfectly Imperfect Campaign Video
Crowdsourced Fun Fact Databases
Straight Fax is an Online Space for Facts and References
Failed Digital Product Databases
Dead Product Marketplace is a Graveyard for Abandoned Projects
Anonymous Letter Sending
Letters is a Charming Tool Allowing People to Send Letters in Secret
Year-Long Professional Content Calendars
Content Squeezy Provides Social media Ideas
Anti-Scam Dating Tips
Match Group Adds New Anti-Scam Tips for its Dating Platforms
Trading Card-Themed Games
Vintage '80s Game Garbage Pail Kids Receives a Modern Update
Holiday-Themed Playful Quizzes
Foney Fonts Challenges Players to Recognize Holiday Typography
April Fool's Lifestyle Collections
Nugget Introduced Its 'Most Trendiest - High Endiest' Line Yet
Tween-Targeted Weekly News Shows
Kelsey Russell is the Newest Co-Host of First Stop News
Haunting Tech Safety PSAs
The Canadian Centre for Child Protection Releases 'The Horse'
Efficient Fact Generators
Facts Generator Can Produce Interesting Facts About Any Subject
Superhero-Themed Retail Toys
McFarlane Toys Launches Three New Target Exclusive Figures
Phishing Website Detectors
Akamai Unveils a Tool for Detecting Fradulent Brand Impersonations
Celebratory Claymation Fashions
The the Nightmare Before Christmas Collection is at Hot Topic
Crowdsourced Fact-Checking Features
Twitter Launches the Fact-Checking 'Community Notes' Feature
Anti-Domestic-Violence Campaigns
Neighbours, Friends and Family Offers PSAs for Signs of Abuse
Celebratory Chewing Gum Documentaries
'Bazooka Bubble Gum Turns 75' Marks a Milestone
Novelty Polling Websites
Funnypoll Gives Users a Quick Laugh in an Often Overwhelming Online Space
Educational Linguistic Newsletters
The 'Why Is That Called That' Newsletter Delves into Language
Simple Joke Platforms
Gigglet is a Simple Webste that Tells 10 "Dad Jokes" a Day