• The Inbox
  • Posts
  • April Fools’ Day: The Easiest Campaign You’ll Ever Run

April Fools’ Day: The Easiest Campaign You’ll Ever Run

Author

Max Sturtevant
March 21, 2025

The Inbox Newsletter

Hey, it’s Max from The Inbox Newsletter.

April 1st is one of the best (and easiest) days to drive engagement and sales.

Most brands ignore it. The smart ones use it to boost clicks, get free virality, and even drive revenue.

Why April Fools' Day Works for Ecom

  • People expect jokes – Your audience is primed for fun.

  • Engagement skyrockets – Even people who don’t normally engage will check it out.

  • You stand out – While everyone else runs boring campaigns, you get to create a memorable brand moment.

Here are 5 April Fools’ Email Ideas you can steal and run with.

1. “We’re Shutting Down. It’s Over.”

Subject: “This is it. We’re done.”

  • Fake announcement that your store is closing.

  • Let it sit for a few sentences.

  • Then: "Just kidding. We’re actually running a 24-hour sale instead."

  • Drop a discount code.

This works for one reason—people love drama. They’ll open just to see what’s going on. And once they’re in, you hit them with an offer.

Good April Fools joke.

2. “The Most Absurd Product Launch Ever”

Subject: “Introducing our most innovative product yet”

  • Make up a ridiculous new product. A gold-plated version of your best-seller. A $10,000 subscription box. A product that literally doesn’t exist.

  • Describe it like it’s real. Maybe even throw in fake testimonials.

  • At the end: “Okay, this one isn’t real. But this deal is.”

  • Link to an actual product with a limited-time discount.

Some brands do this as a joke and end up selling the product for real because people buy it as a gag.

3. “We’re Charging for Emails Now”

Subject: “New Policy: $5 Per Email Open”

  • Say you’re switching to a paid subscription model for emails. Every time someone opens, they get billed.

  • Let that sink in for a second.

  • Then: "Kidding. But here’s something that actually is free—20% off your order today."

  • Drop a discount code.

People will open out of sheer confusion. Some will laugh. Some will be annoyed. But all will see your offer.

4. “AI Has Taken Over Our Email Marketing”

Subject: “Meet our new marketer: AI-9000”

  • Announce that you’ve fired your entire marketing team and replaced them with an AI that makes all decisions (including refunds).

  • Describe how the bot is “learning” but has made a few mistakes—like accidentally approving every refund request or randomly upgrading orders to VIP status for free.

  • At the end: "Alright, maybe we still need humans. But here’s something real—20% off today only."

  • Call to action.

This one works because AI is a hot topic, and people already suspect companies are automating everything.

5. “The Most Shocking Announcement Yet”

Subject: “I can’t believe we’re doing this”

  • Build suspense. Make them think something big is happening.

  • Drag it out for a few lines.

  • Then drop something completely absurd: “Our founder is quitting to become a full-time TikTok dancer” or “We’re replacing all our products with NFTs.”

  • Then: "Okay, but here’s something real—[discount or new product drop]."

People love cliffhangers. The longer you keep them reading, the more likely they are to act.

How to Make This Work for Your Brand

  1. Keep it simple. The goal is to grab attention and drive clicks. Don’t overthink it.

  2. Send early in the day. By noon, people are already getting tired of April Fools' jokes.

  3. Tie it to an offer. The joke gets them in. The discount gets them to buy.

April Fools’ is free money.

A well-executed campaign costs nothing and gets massive engagement. It’s pattern-breaking. It’s unexpected.

And most importantly, it’s memorable.

Pick an idea, tweak it for your brand, and send it out.

See what happens.

Email Inspiration Of The Day

Brand:
Untamed

Email Design:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C8nIaZoURUBdJMH3LCh3I-Q4jWtVnKZ-/view?usp=sharing 

Notes:
This is a great story email to include in your welcome flow.

I like to use these as welcome flow email two after the person was already given their discount.

Hero Section Template #24

If you want access to a bank of 134 mix and match templates like this equating to over 5,000+ possible email designs, click here » 

Reply to this email if you have any questions or further content you want covered.

Cheers,

Max

PS - If you run an ecommerce brand above $50k/mo and you want to have a free email strategy consultation with me, book a call here »

PPS - I have a few different products you can buy. If you purchase any one of these products you get access to my private community of 850+ members with daily posts from me, access to me for support 24/7, and private calls.

  • Ecommerce Email Mastery: A 60 lesson course breaking down everything you need to know about ecommerce email marketing in the most concise and organized manner. learn more »

  • Mix and Match Email Design Templates: 134 email section templates that can make 5,000+ unique email designs with, learn more »

  • QuickFlow Templates: All core 7 core email marketing flows fully templatized with examples, learn more »