Inspired by the butt selfie craze, (or "belfie") wearable tech and in the spirit of April Fool’s, Virgin Active introduced 'The Smarty Pants.'
The very cheeky Smarty Pants are made to act like a pedometer, counting every step the wearer makes with each clench of the glutes. To show off the powers of the wearable tech underwear, Virgin Active used a David Beckham-like model, showing how easy it would be for guys to get a body like Beckham, with the help of Smarty Pants.
For the prank, a suspiciously named representative from Virgin Active, Tong Incheek, noted that some of the "most innovative trends in wearable tech focus on specific muscle groups such as the glutes" and that The Smarty Pants will soon be followed by other area-specific wearable technologies, like the release of Pec-tometer and Bicep-ometer shirts next April.
Tech-Infused Underwear Spoofs
The Smarty Pants by Virgin Active is a Cheeky April Fool’s Gag
Trend Themes
1. Area-specific Wearables - The Smarty Pants prank highlights the potential for wearable technology that focuses on specific muscle groups, opening up opportunities for innovative products that cater to specific fitness goals.
2. Humorous Tech Spoofs - As seen with The Smarty Pants prank, combining technology with humor presents an opportunity to generate buzz and interest in a brand's products or services.
3. Wearable Fitness Tracking - The Smarty Pants prank illustrates the continued trend of using wearable tech to track fitness progress, providing opportunities for companies to develop more accurate and innovative fitness tracking products.
Industry Implications
1. Fitness Wearables - The Smarty Pants prank highlights the potential for wearable technology that caters to specific muscle groups, providing opportunities for fitness wearable companies to create specialized products.
2. Technology - Combining technology with humor, like in The Smarty Pants prank, presents opportunities for tech companies to generate excitement and real-world applications for their products.
3. Marketing and Advertising - The Smarty Pants prank demonstrates the marketing potential of combining humor and wearable tech, presenting opportunities for marketing and advertising companies to create engaging campaigns using similar methods.