😂This April Fool’s Gag Became a Viral Sellout

KFC made a fried chicken-flavored toothpaste joke—and it actually sold out. Check it out:

Why It Works

At first, it was just an April Fool’s joke. KFC and a toothpaste brand called Hismile teamed up to make a silly ad about brushing your teeth with toothpaste that tastes like fried chicken. But, the idea was so funny and unexpected that people couldn’t stop talking about it. So, they made the product real — and it sold out this past week.

This ad works because it surprises you. No one expects toothpaste to taste like fried chicken. When people saw it, they probably laughed or said, “Wait, is this real?” That reaction is what makes it so powerful.

It also looks real. The toothbrush and toothpaste are designed like actual products, and they’re sitting next to real KFC food. If the ad looked too silly, people might just ignore it. But because it looks so polished, it makes you stop and think—is this serious? That mix of real and funny is what grabs your attention.

Another reason it works: people love sharing things that are weird or funny. This ad is both. So, it quickly spread online. Even though it started as a joke, people were so interested that the companies actually made the toothpaste. It became a real product—and it sold!

It’s proof that fun ideas can lead to big success, even if they sound strange at first.

How to Apply This Concept:

This ad doesn’t just promote a product—it creates a conversation. Here’s how other brands could use this same “ridiculous but real” strategy:

• Finance: A budgeting app could launch a luxury “Impulse Purchase Card”—a fake platinum card printed on cardstock with a spending limit of $0 to help users resist FOMO buys.

• Health & Wellness: A protein powder company could sell an April Fool’s “Pizza Protein” flavor, only to surprise fans by actually making it in a limited run.
  Pet Industry: A pet food company could advertise “human-flavored dog treats” like mac & cheese or birthday cake, just for laughs.

• Food: A sparkling water brand might release a “flat water edition”—completely uncarbonated, with dramatic branding like it’s the boldest flavor yet.

• Travel: A travel app could joke about offering “vacation packages to the moon” with fake reviews like “Great view, hard to breathe.”

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