Do you remember back in 1983 when Burger King introduced the “Left-Hander Whopper”? The burger, rolled out by the famous fast-food chain, was “re-designed to fit more comfortably in the left hand.” How did Burger King achieve this feat? All of the condiments on the Left-Hander Whopper were rotated 180 degrees, thereby redistributing the weight of the sandwich so that the bulk of the ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, tomato and lettuce skewed to the left. Burger King insisted that this revolutionary new burger would result in fewer condiment ‘spills’ for left-handed hamburger lovers.
The burger didn’t last long–only a day. April Fool’s Day to be exact. Burger King hasn’t been the only company to have a little fun with fooling the public over the years.
One year, Starbucks announced two new coffee sizes: Plenta — a gigantic, 128-ounce drink, and Micra — a tiny, 2-ounce sip. The company even went so far as to suggest ways to re-use the new coffee cups: The Plenta cups could double as rain hats, lampshades or yoga blocks; the Micra cup could serve “as a convenient milk dish for kittens”, a paper clip holder, or a cup for a soft-boiled egg.
And on April Fool’s Day 2009, Internet travel company Expedia.com offered flights to Mars. The site, which featured a special promotion on Mars-bound flights, included details on hotels and activities on Mars as well as an overview of the weather on Mars. You could even rent your own spaceship!
It seems that the more things change, the more they stay the same. In 1894, Mark Twain wrote: “April 1. This is the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the other three hundred and sixty-four.”
Here’s to “foolin’ around” this weekend!
~Bob
