April Fools campaign

On April Fools' Day, the short-term accommodation rental startup wanted to flex their creative muscle by giving the brand a very human attribute: a sense of humour.

The Challenge

My challenge was to create an April Fools’ campaign that did not involve cats.

The Solution

Past April Fools’ campaigns featured the Internet’s favourite furry friends - cats. This was completely irrelevant to the Roomorama product. A quick look at Google Analytics revealed the following: users are interested in TV shows and movies. (Cats somehow did not make the list.)

During this time (end of March), the Internet was going crazy about How I Met Your Mother’s season finale. I decided to put myself in the shoes of the Roomorama user and watch some TV. Barely 7 minutes into the episode, the idea struck me: TV show sets. We could list TV’s most famous houses and bedrooms on Roomorama.

So without straying too far from the brand’s mission and product, Roomorama's April Fools' Day prank featured famous movie and TV bedrooms, apartments and castles - all in the name of a good “gotcha.”

"At Roomorama, we're all about new adventures. Some of the world's brightest intellectuals, successful warlords, and long-time entertainers have agreed to rent out their penthouses, apartments, castles, and couches to good folks looking for a nice place to stay.”

The Glory

Roomorama's tongue-in-cheek April Fools campaign/ prank successfully aroused interest with the Internet audience.

The brand saw a 64% increase in website visits and longer average time spent on site over the 24 hour period. Social engagement increased - driven by a 23% spike in the number of mentions. By choosing to participate in April Fools, the brand sparked further discovery among a society heavily influenced by the Internet, TV and movies.

My Role

Branding and Identity
Creative strategy
Art direction
Visual design
Copywriting