April Fools Redux

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Sadly April Fools’ Day has come and gone. Some family-friendly favorites from 2024 (and past)

• LEGO's "Find My Brick"

• Amazon's "Petlexa"

• Duolingo's "Duolingo Push"

• Burger King Chocolate Whopper

• McDonald’s McPickle Burger

• Dole’s Banana Sleeping Bag

• Lee Kum Kee’s Sriracha Toothpaste

• Hidden Valley Ranch Flavored Smarties

Share one (or more) with your kids (or your fav!) and discuss

1. How does the prank relate to the brand’s usual products or image?

2. What’s the goal? For fun or is there a deeper strategy?

3. What campaign would you design for your favorite product?

Engaging in questions like these not only helps your kids develop critical thinking skills, but it also turns ad-watching into an interactive and educational experience. Remember, it only takes a single question to spark critical thinking. So, next time you're watching TV or scrolling through social media with your kids, don't just skip the ads—use them as a learning opportunity.

Dr. Carla Engelbrecht is a highly-selective mom, product leader, and internationally recognized expert on children’s education and entertainment technology. As founder of Betweened, she's on a mission to transform social entertainment for kids and their families. If you haven’t already, sign up for the newsletter to get more articles like this or enjoy our free 60 minute video on how to manage when technology goes sideways.