OhayoKarlo

A Filipino man (who we shall not name to protect his privacy) had a local takoyaki brand’s logo tattooed on his forehead* after seeing the brand’s Facebook post saying they will give away P100,000 ($1,700) to whoever would get the tattoo first. Unfortunately for the man, the post was an April Fools’ Day joke, so there’s no cash prize waiting for him.

The brand, Taragis, then posted a disclaimer that they are not accountable for the man’s action since the post was not serious, and they reminded everyone of the importance of reading comprehension. Taragis would also later delete the April Fools’ Day post and the disclaimer.

Netizens were obviously enraged, demanding the brand to provide compensation to the man for the trouble. Meanwhile, another food business brand, ChizMozza, offered the man P10,000 ($170) for this “dedication to win” the fake contest. This works for ChizMozza as their post has been garnering high engagement. That’s what you call moment marketing.

Brands must tread carefully to balance humor with sensitivity, April Fools’ Day or not. While jokes have the potential to engage audience, brands must be mindful of the risks involved. Any humorous content shared should be meticulously crafted to align with brand values, remain respectful and inclusive, and avoid crossing boundaries of taste or appropriateness.

*Note: I could not personally verify whether the man indeed had the Taragis logo tattooed on his forehead (permanently or temporarily). It is possible that he was in on the joke to promote the brand, but I also read one post from a random X user that the man did it out of desperation for his child with down syndrome. If the former is true, then Taragis did great fooling all of us, but if it’s the latter, then it’s a cruel world we’re living in.

Update (April 3, 2024): According to a report by Inquirer.net, the management of Taragis has decided to award the cash prize of P100,000 to the man and even offered to have the tattoo professionally removed.

Update 2 (April 7): So apparently I was right. The guy was in on the joke. It was a marketing stunt for the brand. The brand released a video (which they will probably monetize) explaining the stunt according to a Rappler report.