This April Fools’ Day, Give Thanks, Not Pranks with T-Mobile
Jordan Kelley, Content Director, BrandStorytelling.tv
For years, brands – including T-Mobile – have used April Fools’ Day to grab attention with fun jokes, stunts and more. And through the fun hijinks, the day went from the hilarious & unexpected to one that was getting swept away amidst all the new “cultural holidays” popping up (basically) every other day.
Last year things changed dramatically and T-Mobile pivoted the April Fools’ moment into “Give Thanks Not Pranks,” – to great success. Using social as a way to drive donations, T-Mobile ended up with $500,000 going to the Boys & Girls Clubs COVID relief fund AND nearly 250 million impressions.
Now, in the program’s 2nd year, T-Mobile is putting April Fools’ “on hold” once more and instead giving back in a meaningful way. This year T-Mobile is donating to DonorsChoose – And you’re invited to join in.
T-Mobile is rallying a diverse set of like-minded brands to transform the day away from traditional pranks and towards one of gratitude. And while T-Mobile has pledged its donations to DonorsChoose, you’re free to donate to any charity or cause of your choice; it’s all about pivoting your valuable resources like time, money, or editorial calendar space away from the tired tradition of pranks & amplifying this amazing movement in authentic ways.
Here are a couple turnkey ways to get involved:
Donate what you would have spent on an April Fools campaign to a charity of your choice (or join T-Mobile’s & DonorsChoose) and announce it as part of #GiveThanksNotPranks.
Use T-Mobile’s announcement on Twitter confirm your company is participating in Give Thanks, Not Pranks – that’s it! Just don’t do any pranks and encourage thanking.
For more information, read the official press release, follow @TMobile on Twitter and visit https://www.givethanksnotpranks.com/.
About Jordan Kelley
Jordan Kelley is the Content Director at BrandStorytelling.tv. He's an essayist, editor, and observer intent on mapping new media trends and disseminating the most relevant information in the world of branded content. Jordan is a lover of stories and an avid consumer of new media.
