Tap, tap, tap...

[iclark]

Why waste time, money and effort on April Fools? I'd rather merchants spend their energy on improving customer service or internal efficiency than on an annual joke that, with a few exceptions, is second-class.

Simon

In addition to the fun, it was a brand marketing tool. It drove a lot of traffic to the LV website on 4/1.

There was almost always a whole bunch of What's New products added to the website on 4/1 in addition to the April Fool's Day tool. It kept lots of us looking at all of those new tools until we found the AFD tool. More than once, I guessed wrong about whether a new tool was the AFD.

I think that I may have even bought some of those new tools that I probably would not have read about in detail if I were not looking for the gag.

[hbmcc]

Maybe, we can present our own thoughts, or prototypes, of an Alternative to Lee Valley's Gag. I can satisfy my 'multi-tool' fascination with a double-tipped chisel. Picture one of those cheap four-shape-grit rasps that chew up your hand while tearing up wood at the other end.

[Handplanesandmore]

In addition to the fun, it was a brand marketing tool. It drove a lot of traffic to the LV website on 4/1.

There was almost always a whole bunch of What's New products added to the website on 4/1 in addition to the April Fool's Day tool. It kept lots of us looking at all of those new tools until we found the AFD tool. More than once, I guessed wrong about whether a new tool was the AFD.

I think that I may have even bought some of those new tools that I probably would not have read about in detail if I were not looking for the gag.

If I had to guess, driving traffic would be pretty low on the list of reasons for doing the April Fools. Technical or design challenges could be a better motivation.

Companies don't rely on April 1, one single day or week?, to get people to look at their new products. April 1 is no Boxing Week or Cyber Monday etc. If April 1 were really that important, what does it say about LV not having any April Fools products for several years in a row? I don't think they've suffered any serious sales because of that. Other vendors would have also budgeted (I don' think it's a small one) for their turns if April Fools is really a serious marketing campaign.

April Fools or not, I know people check out new products year round with businesses like LV.

Simon

[bandit571]

One word comes to mind with LV doing the AFD projects......

TRADITION....( wasn't there a song in Fiddler on the roof about that subject?)

Recently, didn't LV do a promo about tiny tools?   including a bench to work on....all to make the world's best toothpick....
 

Sometimes...one just has to step back, lighten up..and just have a wee bit of FUN.   

The wood doesn't care if you laugh at it, or cuss it out.....nor does it really care what brand of tool you are using....sharp is sharp.

[mdhills]

The word I think of for the AFD tools was "Delight".
Not sure if it is meant more for the customers/audience, or the guys dreaming this up over the year.

Matt

[iclark]

The word I think of for the AFD tools was "Delight".
Not sure if it is meant more for the customers/audience, or the guys dreaming this up over the year.

Matt

agreed. It is a shame that the older ones did not make the trip to the new LV website.

I have not checked the waybackmachine yet to see if they are preserved for posterity.

[AHill]

You can still find the videos of the previous April Fools Day tool on Lee Valley's Facebook Page.

[Arlin Eastman]

Last time I seen the Tap, Tap, Tap was in a cartoon and it went boom.  

[TomFromStLouis]

This guy makes some pretty cool tools:

https://www.howardjonesartist.com/