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
29
Faking Naughty
5 Ads That Made You Look Twice
28
Hardcore Tattoo Removal
Go for the Burn With This (Fake) Iron-Inspired Treatment
27
Fake Aging
Vogue's 'From 10 to 60 Years' Uses Only Makeup, Lighting
26
Fake Naughty
Beate Uhse TV Ads for Parental Controls and Supervision
25
Faking Naughty II
5 More Ads That Made You Look Twice
24
Faking Proof on Flickr
The Fairy Skeleton
23
Parodies of Fake Boobs as Ads
Brava Breast Enlarger Campaign
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
Playfully Serious Designs
Nik Bentel Studio Pivots from the Whimsical to the Playfully Serious
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
Provocative Soda Stunts
Evolution Fresh x Bretman Rock Hosted a Soda-Powered Car Wash
Series-Inspired Newspaper Pop-Ups
Peacock Featured a Custom Newsstand for ‘The Paper’
Debunking Skincare Campaigns
The Periodic Fable by The Ordinary Exposes Beauty Industry Buzzwords
Unique AI-Generated Ads
Skinny Mobile Introduces Its New AI-Powered Brand Ambassador
Seafood Waste Bioplastics
Natnov Bioscience Has Turned Seafood Waste into New Bio-Economy Products
Humorous Fun-Forward Ads
Six Flags Rolls Out Its 'Funsultant' Campaign to Prove Fun Is Serious
AI-Enhanced Phone Cases
The Flipper by Heineken Turns Upside Down When It Senses a Good Time
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
Limited-Edition Water Kegs
Liquid Death X Kylie Kelce Give Hydration a Hardcore Upgrade
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
Humorous Indian-Flavored Ice Creams
Deep Indian Kitchen Embarked on an April Fools’ Day Launch
Performance Art Furniture
Bianca Censori’s Bio Pop Sees Contortionist Bodies into Sculptural Forms
Stunningly Intricate Watch Designs
Schaefer & Companions Spotlights Boris Némitz
Nautical Cartoon Soaps
Dr. Squatch Reprises its SpongeBob Collab with a Patrick Star-Inspired Bar
Analog Creativity-Inspired Installations
Moleskine Presents 'Unleash Your Genius' at BASE Milano
Crime-Inspired Press-On Nails
The Aprés x Liquid Death Collab Shares Essentials for Killer Nails
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
Drug-Themed April Fool's Gags
Innocean Berlin's Glory Over Pain Corporation Campaign is Satirical
Gamer-Targeted Donor Campaigns
Virtual Donors Turns In-Game Deaths into Real Registrations
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!
Nightmarish Mobile Campaigns
Liquid Death Created the Cellphone Bill Character for Boost Mobile
Pet-Finding Billboards
Hrvatski Telekom Created Scented Billboards That Attract Lost Dogs
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
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
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
Multitasking Volunteer Initiatives
Heineken Fan Volunteers Applies a Rarely Used Employee Benefit
Playful Next-Gen Colognes
notewrks by Snif Challenges Traditional Colognes with Musical Themes
Matcha-Infused Sausages
Heck Food Pranked Fans on April Fool's Day with Chicken Matcha Chipolatas
Self-Expression Festival Activations
Barbie Brings Customizable Persona-Building to Coachella
Honest Sustainability-Focused Installations
Temple (The Last Cheeseburger) is Thought-Provoking
Perfume Bottle Ornaments
Phlur's Decorative, Wearable Ornaments are Made for Gifting & Sampling
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
Reimagined Art Tours
Kayem's There When it Mattered Most Adds Hot Dogs to American History
Luxury Lifestyle Festivals
Informa Markets & Hk Tourism Board Launch the Festival of Connoisseurs
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
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
Canadian Creator-Approved Campaigns
The Hacksmith and Mentos Launch a Fizz-Powered Innovation
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
AI-Powered Satirical Ads
Dollar Shave Club Uses Generative AI To Skewer Corporate Culture
Fake Message Generators
Phone Gags Creates Realistic Fake Texts and Shareable Screens
Absurd Gummy Ads
Skittles Gummies' "Uncomfortably Soft" Ads Were Shot Without AI and CGI
Tuna-Focused Film Festivals
The Tuna Cans Film Festival Shares How People Enjoy Bumble Bee Tuna
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
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'
Miniature Parade Floats
The Goldfish Snack Brand Debuts the Littlest Float at the Macy’s Parade
Illusory Ice Cream Pop-Ups
Häagen-Dazs Celebrated St. Patrick's Day with an O'Häagen's
Health-Boosted Candies
Baby Bottle Pop's Adulthood Survival Collection Recognizes Popular Callouts
High-Concept Brand Campaigns
The ‘Legitimate You’ Campaign Proves Every Brand Can Look Pro
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
Bamboo-Based Dome Pavilions
Shigeru Ban Used Cardboard Tubes to Create the Blue Ocean Dome
Feel-Good Hotlines
Harry's Interactive Mural Provides an Opportunity to Check In
Science-Backed Wooden Installations
Kristina Pulejkova Creates the Seed Stories Installation
Annual International Toy Fairs
Spielwarenmesse is Running Its 75th Edition This Year
Character-Led Cake Jar Collections
ThisandThat Studio Introduced Das Susse Studio Cake in a Glass
Pickle-Inspired Wines
Stella Rosa Presented Pickle Wine to Its Audience on April Fools' Day
Luxury Hotel-Branded Wellness Amenities
The Skinny Confidential & Eden Rock, St Barths Partner
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
Anti-Bias Fashion Unveilings
Primark Created "Kim Parr" to Challenge Preconceptions
Superstitious Fan-Inspired Campaigns
Heineken Rebuilds Arsenal Fans' Beloved Pub in Lisbon
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
No-Nonsense Grooming Campaigns
The Rock Face Makes Scents Campaign Pokes Fun at Marketing Cliches
Glue-Free Natural-Looking Falsies
The Kiss imPRESS Falsies are Hassle Free and Affordable
Creative Frustration Outlets
Punch Your Client Is A Satirical Game For Creative Professionals
Celebrity-Signed Rolling Trays
SWED.com Leverages Snoop Dogg's Cultural Influence
Skull Tabletop Organizer
Suck UK Showcases a Stunning Skull-Shaped Bedside Valet
Halloween-Themed Advent Calendars
The 13 Nights of Halloween Advent Calendar Builds Excitement
Birthday-Celebrating Sculpture Exhibitions
Richard MacDonald Marks His 80th with a Two-Day Event
Extreme Product Tests
Columbia Sportswear's Balloon Product Test Doused Volunteers in Water
Interactive Unboxing Activations
Peperami Created a Dynamic Chicken Tikka Skewers Experience
Biologically Shaped Musical Gadgets
The Balls in Concert Ad Brings Testicular Cancer Awareness
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
Sports Memorabilia Authentication Technologies
Genuine Joins Bo Jackson for His Charity Event
Satirical News Platforms
AI Satire News Transforms Real-Time Updates Into Humorous Content
Sports Advertising Moments
Genius Sports Found Emotional Sports Moments Can Double Ad Recall
Cheeky Gift-Wrapping Campaigns
Scotch Brand and Ego Nwodim Embrace the Resting Gift Face
Interactive Prank Tools
Scratch & Reveal Sends Custom Surprises and Jump Scares to Friends
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
Organic Savory Spritzers
Natural Grocers Teased April Fool's Day Flavors Like Raw Onion Water
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
Fictional AI-Powered Condoms
Manforce Condoms' April Fools Day Prank Introduced the Dot AI Condom
Smock Fabric Inflated Designs
The Smock Collection Uses Sand and Wool to Shape Pleated Furniture
Online Discourse Simulations
Dead Internet Simulates How Bots Can Shape Online Conversations
Monumental Air Installation
Iwagumi Air Scape Installation Turns Rock Garden into Immersive Art
Canned Pasta Water Pranks
Eat Wasted Teased a Canned Pasta Water as a Way to Reduce Water Waste
Speaker Part-Garnered Art Installations
Juyong Shim Presents NEW CRAFTMANSHIP: A NEW WORLD
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