Faking things can be fun, but as the news story of Marcus Schrenker and his fake death make evident, sometimes faux can really be too low. On the other hand, if you keep it light, it can be a lot of fun, or an innovative attribute to use for promotions.
Leave the heavy stuff like the Marcus Schrenker scandal to the traditional media. The cluster below highlights some of the best fake innovations, from fake sperm whale sculptures for awareness, to fake stripshows to sell real estate.
33 Things You Can Fake
26
Hardcore Tattoo Removal
Go for the Burn With This (Fake) Iron-Inspired Treatment
25
Fake Aging
Vogue's 'From 10 to 60 Years' Uses Only Makeup, Lighting
24
Fake Naughty
Beate Uhse TV Ads for Parental Controls and Supervision
23
Faking Proof on Flickr
The Fairy Skeleton
22
Fake Vampire News
Twilight Filipino Adaptation is a Hoax
21
Faking Virginity
Artificial Hymen Makes Women Virgins Again
20
Luxury for the Homeless (UPDATE)
Faux-Cardboard or Clochard Duvet Covers
19
Tiny Putting Green Jewelry
Faux Moss Rings by ‘Adorn Jewelry'
18
Fake Editorials for Awareness
APAV Anti-Domestic Abuse Campaign
17
Fake Diamond Ring Mugs
The 2-Carat Cup
16
Fake Dead Rockstars
Faux Amy Winehouse Art Cadaver
15
Faux Strip Shows for Real Estate
Window Dancers to Sell LA Apartments
14
Fake Sperm Whales
Stranded Sculptures
13
Stains as Jewelry
Fake Ketchup Drips and Lipstick Prints by Yunju Lee
12
Faking Street Cred
Hero Tattoos
11
Faux Animal Skin Rugs
Vintage Dutch Blanket Polar Bear Carpets
10
Customized Fake Corpses
Ordering Bespoke Dead People
9
Faux Wood Sinks
Bandini's Ebano Collection
8
Fashionable Holy Books
Fake Magazine Cover for ‘Bible Illuminated'
7
Hiring Fake Crowds
Queues for Hire at McDonald's in Japan
6
Faux Skin Sinks
'Ethnic' Bath Vessels
5
Faux Blood-Splattered China
Macabre Coffee With The Antonio Murado Salome Set
4
Fossilized Fake Eyelashes
‘Relics' Amber Exhibit Predicts Future Findings
3
Fake Paper Bags
Rip-Resistant 'Papier Bags' Are Not Your Every Day Brown Bag
2
Fooling Highway Speed Cameras
Pranksters Use Fake License Plates for Revenge
1
Viral Newspapers Hoaxes
1.2 Million 'New York Times' Fakes Handed Out
Related Ideas
Car Part-Repurposed Furniture
MSCHF Creates a Furniture Capsule Using Mercedes-AMG Cars
Matcha-Mayo Condiments
Heinz x PerfectTed Matcha Mayo Unites Two Favorite Products
Series-Inspired Newspaper Pop-Ups
Peacock Featured a Custom Newsstand for ‘The Paper’
Provocative Soda Stunts
Evolution Fresh x Bretman Rock Hosted a Soda-Powered Car Wash
Debunking Skincare Campaigns
The Periodic Fable by The Ordinary Exposes Beauty Industry Buzzwords
Fake Food Delivery Apps
Korea's Viral Dopamine Shopping Sites Mimic the Online Ordering Experience
Seafood Waste Bioplastics
Natnov Bioscience Has Turned Seafood Waste into New Bio-Economy Products
AI-Satirical Ad Spots
Dollar Shave Club Uses Generative AI To Skewer Tech Hype
Playful Thanksgiving Foods
Instacart Bakes Up the Lie Pie to Take the Stress Out of Thanksgiving
Family-Friendly Halloween Essentials
Oriental Trading Creative Decor Options
Mockumentary Product Tests
Robert Irwin vs. 100 Crocs Puts Columbia Sportswear Shoes to the Test
Giant Custom Inflatables
Creatable Inflatables Designs Eye-Catching Structures for Brand Exposure
Authentic Connection Campaigns
Heineken's Hijack Socialization Encourages Out-of-Home Gatherings
Branded Power Banks
Reale Actives Created a Wireless Battery Pack for Recharging on the Go
AI-Generated Journalist Avatars
Synthesia Creates Helen Drew Avatar For BBC London
Performance Art Furniture
Bianca Censori’s Bio Pop Sees Contortionist Bodies into Sculptural Forms
Stunningly Intricate Watch Designs
Schaefer & Companions Spotlights Boris Némitz
Scent Spritz Billboards
goodwipes' Scentsational Summer Billboard Releases Scent Every 30 Seconds
Nautical Cartoon Soaps
Dr. Squatch Reprises its SpongeBob Collab with a Patrick Star-Inspired Bar
Fashion-Inspired Food Marketing
Magnum Blends Beauty, Music and Luxury Culture into Its Brand
Functionally Focused Dog Campaigns
The Honest Kitchen's Inflatable Dogs Challenge Beauty Standards
Functional Effervescent Mushroom Drinks
These Water Junkie Drinks Come in Three Varieties
Gamer-Targeted Donor Campaigns
Virtual Donors Turns In-Game Deaths into Real Registrations
Multidisciplinary Art Shows
These Thoughts May Disappear Shows Jack White’s First Public Art Show
Retail Advertising Campaigns
IKEA Hides Price Tags to Highlight Material Quality in a New Campaign
Brighton Retail Launch Ads
IKEA Brighton Uses Seagull Splatter Campaign to Win Local Attention
Friendly Fandom Campaigns
Heineken Kicked Off Fans Have More Friends with a Fun Social Experiment
Filmic Solid Perfumes
'Til Death by Heretic Parfum Tells the Story of The Bride!
Pet-Finding Billboards
Hrvatski Telekom Created Scented Billboards That Attract Lost Dogs
Nightmarish Mobile Campaigns
Liquid Death Created the Cellphone Bill Character for Boost Mobile
Object-Resembling USB Drives
Sandisk Whimsical USB-C Drives Turn Storage into Playful Accessories
Chainsaw-Sliced Sandwiches
Sheetz and Liquid Death are Serving Up Uniquely Sliced Sandwiches
Cigarette Waste Hats
Olivia Gino Turned an Abundant Source of Litter into a Shearling-Style Hat
Jeweled Awareness Art Piece
The Real Crown Jewels Spotlight Testicular Cancer Awareness
Sparkling Social Beverages
Mingle Mocktails is Leveraging April Fool’s to Launch Pomegranate Spark
Absurd Gummy Ads
Skittles Gummies' "Uncomfortably Soft" Ads Were Shot Without AI and CGI
Imaginative Fantasy-Inspired Campaigns
Canva Spotlights its Creative Tools Ahead of Halloween
3D-Printed Fidget Toys
Jigglets are Produced with Less Waste Than Traditional Toys
Reimagined Art Tours
Kayem's There When it Mattered Most Adds Hot Dogs to American History
Playful Next-Gen Colognes
notewrks by Snif Challenges Traditional Colognes with Musical Themes
Self-Expression Festival Activations
Barbie Brings Customizable Persona-Building to Coachella
Perfume Bottle Ornaments
Phlur's Decorative, Wearable Ornaments are Made for Gifting & Sampling
Honest Sustainability-Focused Installations
Temple (The Last Cheeseburger) is Thought-Provoking
Feel-Good Hotlines
Harry's Interactive Mural Provides an Opportunity to Check In
Gamified Scent Marketing Experiences
Axe's Grab The Sweet Turned a Bus Stop into a Claw Machine
Acrylic Smartphone Addiction Accessories
The 'Methaphone' Offers a Tactile Way to Curb Device Use
Humorous Healthcare Campaigns
Zocdoc And 72andSunny Reframe Doctor Search With Playful Anxiety
Anti-Counterfeit Campaigns
This Vaseline Nigerian Prince Campaign Warns Against Fake Products
Dynamic Storage-Display Shelves
Alexander Westerlund Designs the Shelf Life Shelf Unit
Supermarket-Inspired Nail Art Designs
Aldi Dropped a Festival-Inspired Nail Art Collection
Multitasking Volunteer Initiatives
Heineken Fan Volunteers Applies a Rarely Used Employee Benefit
AI Writing Parody Tools
BadWriterGPT Deliberately Impairs Content to Signal Human Authenticity
Festive Shoppable Choirs
Toblerone Reimagined Holiday Songs & Shared QR Codes for Buying Truffles
Art-Transformed Home Products
Jeff Koons' Balloon Dog Sculptures are Now a Light and Speaker
Film-Inspired Cocktail Campaigns
Ketel One Vodka Collaborates with Patrick Schwarzenegger
Social Reading Platforms
TheFalse Lets Users Track, Share, and Connect Over Books and Ideas
Layered Porcelain Sculpture
Strata of Illusion Alters Tissue Paper into a Kiln-Fired Ceramic Form
Frozen Chicken-Based Meals
True Story Foods Launches New Products at Whole Foods Market
Fake Message Generators
Phone Gags Creates Realistic Fake Texts and Shareable Screens
AI-Powered Satirical Ads
Dollar Shave Club Uses Generative AI To Skewer Corporate Culture
Travel Visualization Tools
Fake Travel Generates AI Images Of Travel Experiences And Destinations
Tuna-Focused Film Festivals
The Tuna Cans Film Festival Shares How People Enjoy Bumble Bee Tuna
Pop-Up Reality TV Bars
Samsung Electronics' Verkligheten is a Destination for Reality TV Fans
Global Misinformation Campaigns
Reuters Utilizes AI for 'Pure News, Straight from the Source'
Shark-Themed Balloon Collections
PartyWoo Debuts the Baby Shark All-In-One Balloon Collection
Humorous Hotel Campaigns
Marriott Bonvoy x Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Launch a Social Ad
No-Nonsense Frozen Snack Campaigns
Yasso's Foolproof Freezer Challenges April Fool's Day Pranks
Authenticity-Forward Insurance Campaigns
Allianz Ireland Unveils Its New ‘Real Life’ Campaign
AI-Aged Executive Spoof Ads
AiCandy's Energym Ad Reimagines Tech Moguls as Instructors
Interactive Luxury Brand Storytelling
Hermès Presents the Interactive Mystery at the Grooms
Cheeky Food-Made Beauty Ranges
Warburtons Spoof Beauty Range Creates Picture-Perfect Lunches
Bubble Wrap Billboards
Tombola's Interactive Billboards Engage Passersby with a Sensory Activity
Immersive Art Exhibitions
The New Art Exhibition by Pierre Huyghe is on at Fondation Beyeler
Deceptive Dessert Cakes
M Street's April Fools Cakes Look Like One Thing and Taste Like Another
Activity Gear Billboards
Ocean Spray's Reclaim Happy Hour Activation Got Australians Up & Moving
Creative Eerie-Themed Soccer Campaigns
Nike Football Reimagines Soccer with 'Scary Good'
Illusory Ice Cream Pop-Ups
Häagen-Dazs Celebrated St. Patrick's Day with an O'Häagen's
Miniature Parade Floats
The Goldfish Snack Brand Debuts the Littlest Float at the Macy’s Parade
Health-Boosted Candies
Baby Bottle Pop's Adulthood Survival Collection Recognizes Popular Callouts
Equity-Focused Energy Drink Campaigns
ZOA Energy Boasts 'You Can't Fake This Kind of Energy'
Deepfake Detection Tools
Reality Defender is a Leader in Artificially Generated Media Detection
Human Connection-Themed Art Installations
Prada Presents the Satellite Exhibition in Tokyo
Paper Food Packaging Campaigns
This Koehler Paper Campaign Showcases the Market Shift
Futuristic Museum Exhibitions
The Unnatural History Museum of Singapore Shows Mechanical Creatures
Urban Egg Installations
The Diesel Human-Sized Egg Installations Bring Playful Fashion to Milan
Culture-Combating Cheese Campaigns
This Babybel Protein Campaign Stars Joe Marler
Survival-Style Fantasy Football Experiences
Yahoo Sports and Liquid Death Inject Dark Humor
Science-Backed Wooden Installations
Kristina Pulejkova Creates the Seed Stories Installation
Character-Led Cake Jar Collections
ThisandThat Studio Introduced Das Susse Studio Cake in a Glass
Annual International Toy Fairs
Spielwarenmesse is Running Its 75th Edition This Year
Sports Advertising Moments
Genius Sports Found Emotional Sports Moments Can Double Ad Recall
Pickle-Inspired Wines
Stella Rosa Presented Pickle Wine to Its Audience on April Fools' Day
Horror-Inspired Sports Campaigns
Nike Presents the Scary Good Campaign with Satire Themes
Collectible Baseball Figurines
Ghostwrite x MLB Game Face Taps into the Blind Box Craze
Deeply Discounted TV Deals
Liquid Death Added a $1 TV to Its Online Store for Black Friday
Interactive Solidified Remains Quizes
Parting Stone Celebrated April Fool's with a Playful Quiz
Thrill-Seeking Jet Ski Performances
Monster Energy Amplifies St. Patrick's Day Celebrations
Synthetic Consumer Personas
Leger Uses AI Personas to Simulate Consumer Reaction
Interactive Themed Educational Boxes
Enlightened Generation’s Themed Boxes Serve Children
Anti-Bias Fashion Unveilings
Primark Created "Kim Parr" to Challenge Preconceptions
Luxury Hotel-Branded Wellness Amenities
The Skinny Confidential & Eden Rock, St Barths Partner
Superstitious Fan-Inspired Campaigns
Heineken Rebuilds Arsenal Fans' Beloved Pub in Lisbon
Canned Mocktail Spritzes
Little Saints' Non-Alcoholic Hugo Spritz Features Functional Mushrooms
Luxury Lifestyle Festivals
Informa Markets & Hk Tourism Board Launch the Festival of Connoisseurs
Faux-Piercing Push-Up Garments
SKIMS Presents the Ultimate Pierced Nipple Push-Up Bra
Collaboration Water Brand Whiskeys
WhistlePig GraveStock Wheat Whiskey Was Made with Liquid Death
Efficiency-Driven Beverage Shipping Containers
Whale Pod Shipper Debuts Tray Pods
Personal Deepfake Avatar Features
YouTube Announces Face Swap Avatars in Creator Studio
Hyperreal Safety Installations
Sunburnt Car by TBWA\Eleven Visualizes In-Car UV Exposure
Creative Frustration Outlets
Punch Your Client Is A Satirical Game For Creative Professionals
Skull Tabletop Organizer
Suck UK Showcases a Stunning Skull-Shaped Bedside Valet
Birthday-Celebrating Sculpture Exhibitions
Richard MacDonald Marks His 80th with a Two-Day Event
Halloween-Themed Advent Calendars
The 13 Nights of Halloween Advent Calendar Builds Excitement
Sausage Roll Wax Sculptures
Greggs Sausage Roll is Immortalized at Madame Tussauds
Spontaneous No-Stress Vacations
White Claw Introduced a No-Bail Bondsman and a Trip of a Lifetime
Friend-Finding Virtual Hangouts
Strangely Matches Similar Personalities for Live Video Chats
Lab-Grown Fertility Solutions
Paterna develops lab-created sperm for male infertility treatment
Extreme Product Tests
Columbia Sportswear's Balloon Product Test Doused Volunteers in Water
Satirical News Platforms
AI Satire News Transforms Real-Time Updates Into Humorous Content
Product Discovery Communities
MillionShip Turns Product Discovery Into A Playful Experiences
Cheeky Gift-Wrapping Campaigns
Scotch Brand and Ego Nwodim Embrace the Resting Gift Face
Costumed Fan Stunts
AXE's Mystery Wiener Couple Captivated Fans at the World Cup
Vacation Mode Activations
San Miguel's Holiday Mirror Transforms Passersby with AR
Multimedia Art Exhibitions
Harmony Korine's Perfect Nonsense Opens at ICA Miami Exhibition
Fraud Intelligence Tools
Scam AI Detects Synthetic Media And Malicious Intent Across Channels
Calendar Simulation Tools
FakeAppointment.com Generates Realistic Meeting Invites to Free Up Time
Brandless Packaging Campaigns
McDonald’s Tested a Name-Free 'Famous Order' Promotion
Health Object Art Exhibitions
Out of Orifice Explores Interfaces Between Body, Design, & Intimacy
Playable Oak Sculptures
Funeral for a Tree is a Sound Sculpture by Steve Parker
Fake Video Gaming Essays
Super Eyepatch Wolf Explores Imaginary Gaming Worlds
Media Management Simulators
The Hamburg Times Lets You Build, Publish, And Scale A Newspaper
Smock Fabric Inflated Designs
The Smock Collection Uses Sand and Wool to Shape Pleated Furniture
Philanthropy Art Marketplaces
TheFaunaClub Connects Wildlife Conservation With Art And Giving
Monumental Air Installation
Iwagumi Air Scape Installation Turns Rock Garden into Immersive Art
Cork-Forward Exhibition Designs
The Portuguese Cork Association Highlights a Stunning Exhibition
Interactive Project Platforms
Community Aquarium Turns Projects Into Digital Fish For Discovery
Canned Pasta Water Pranks
Eat Wasted Teased a Canned Pasta Water as a Way to Reduce Water Waste
AI-Powered Scam Alerts
Meta Launches Scam Protection Features Across Its Social Platforms
Expanded Ceramic Capsules
Simon Johns Expands Future Fossils with New Primordial Style Pieces
Expanded Likeness Detection Tools
YouTube Rolls Out Likeness Detection To Entertainment Talent