Fooled

So we’ve plugged the right keyboard back into the right monitor, switched back the salt and sugar and peeled the cling film off, well, everything. It’s after midday and the April fool japes are now over – we’re not monsters after all.

But to harness the day’s silliness, we’ve collected our favourite design-related April fools.

The proposed sculpture
The proposed sculpture

Perhaps one of our favourites was the news that London-based consultancy Dowling Jones and Stone had been commissioned to create a giant sculpture of London mayor Boris Johnson cycling on one of the Barclay’s Cycle Hire scheme bikes. Apparently the 15 tonne bronze statue will be placed in the gap between City Hall and Tower Bridge.

‘It is hoped that the statue will become a worldwide icon and plans are in place to take smaller versions of the statue on a world tour,’ says the consultancy. It’s almost as weird as the, we presume real, pictures of Boris and Arnie cycling through London that have been in the papers this morning.

Harriman Steel's signs
Harriman Steel’s signs

And another
And another

Harriman Steel took the opportunity to launch their new website with a series of April fools sandwich boards. ‘The aim is to create curiosity, intrigue and possibly even turn the corners of your mouth up a little,’ says the consultancy.

Oxen Scheiße
Oxen Scheiße

Landor launched packaging for new energy drink Oxen Scheiße. The consultancy says, ‘Oxen Scheiße’s secret recipe, incorporating extracts of ginseng and tombaki ali, promisesto deliver increased energy, vitality and virility. The stimulant drink sets out to raise the bar in the beverage category, no bull.’ Hmm, not so sure about that.

Google's motion guide
Google’s motion guide

Google ‘introduced’ Gmail Motion, a new webcam controlled method of accessing your emails. You may scoff, but it’s not too far away from Rehab Studio’s real motion controlled site for Tetrapak – minus the mopey looking model.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu927_ul_X0

If you haven’t already, type ‘helvetica’ into Google and you’ll get a surprise – I won’t give it away but it’ll make typographers smile.

So there’s a few good ones there, but nothing that’ll make 2011 stand out as the year of April fools. In short, we suspect there’s some better ones out there. If you’ve spotted, or created, some good April fools, please let us know in the comments box below.

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  • Derek Digital November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Quite liked Linotype’s early morning tweet heralding the arrival of Comic Sans Pro http://goo.gl/tagkZ

  • Jamie Gough February 3, 2013 at 11:17 am

    liked typing helvetica into google and the entire page turns into comic sans

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