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Imagine this…

You’re scrolling Instagram when you spot a post that stops your thumb—and heart—mid-scroll:

“We’re changing our name to IHOB.” IHOP proudly states.

Wait… what?

Your brain glitches.

You squint at the post, re-read it, and start feverishly texting your group chat.

“Uhhh… IHOP is now IHOB? Like… International House of BURGERS? Why would they do this to us?”

Immediately, your phone blows up for what will later be remembered as the Chaotic Group Chat of 2018.

Some are confused, some are outraged.

But no matter which side of the emotional spectrum you fall on, hysteria had set in. And you’re all talking about it non-stop.

But 7 minutes later, after some mediocre investigative work, you rush back into the group chat like Paul Revere.

“HOLD UP GUYS,” you text, slightly out of breath for some reason.

“It was just a joke. It’s not really happening.”

Yup—it wasn’t real.

It was just IHOP’s weird, brilliant way of hyping up their new burger menu.

And after your friend Sam promises to put his trident away—like something out of the epic Anchorman duel—you all make plans to try IHOP’s new burgers for lunch.

Why did this mischievous marketing stunt help IHOP sell 4X more burgers?

In today’s edition of Why We Buy 🧠 we’ll explore Pranks—why we’re wired to pay attention to playful deception.

Let’s get into it.

🧠 The Psychology of Pranks

At their core, Pranks are a form of Pattern Interrupt.

By breaking expectations, they snap us out of the Autopilot Mode we usually operate on, forcing our brains to pay attention.

And once someone’s attention is hooked?

That’s when the memory-making magic happens.

Researchers found that “expectation violators” like these can create stronger emotional reactions and increase memory recall thanks to the Von Restroff Effect.

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Pranks also trigger the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon.

Once someone takes note of your clever content, they’re more likely to spot your brand again, creating a ripple effect of recognition.

But here’s the twist…

For a prank to work, it has to hit the sweet spot.

If it feels too mean-spirited or misleading, it backfires.

But when it’s clever, light-hearted, and a bit cheeky? Buyers love it, and you become the star of the show.

Because at the end of the day, we don’t just want to be sold to.

We want to be entertained.

🤑 How To Apply This

Alright, so how can you apply this right now to sell more?

e-Commerce​
Boost brand engagement with clever social content

How many times have you thought, “I should engage with Dole’s Instagram account“? Exactly zero?

Well, they changed that real freakin’ quick when they “released” the banana sleeping bag.

Suddenly, people—especially parents—were flooding the comment section with the same reaction: “I need this.”

Why? Because Dole tapped into a deep desire with their a-peeling content (hehe): peace, quiet, and 5 damn minutes alone.

SaaS​
Turn being ignored into an engagement-boosting strategy

Duolingo saw you dismissing their push notifications. Tsk tsk.

So to boost app engagement, they launched “Duolingo Push.”

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It’s a parody campaign where Duo, their snarky owl mascot, will “show up” in real life to guilt-trip you into finishing your lessons.

And they didn’t just stop at the joke—they doubled down with social proof to seal the deal.

BRB. Gonna go finish our Spanish lesson before Duo knocks on our door. *nervously peeks out window*

Consumer goods​
Use a fake-out to spark real cravings (and sales)

Burger King wasn’t done with their Whopper shenanigans, y’all.

During the same year IHOP pulled their IHOB prank, BK said, “Hold my beer burger,” and released…

The Chocolate Whopper.

What they probably didn’t expect? People demanded the real deal.

So for 1 glorious day, BK actually sold Chocolate Whoppers at a Taiwan location, selling 506 of these bad boys—with a 100-meter line snaking out the door.

(Someone get Dole on the line. Let’s make the banana sleeping bags happen, too.)​

💥 The Short of It

Pranks are more than one-off punchlines.

They’re potent marketing tools that can turn into profits—if done right.

By disrupting expectations, brands can cut through noise, spark emotional reactions, and become way more memorable.

So don’t be afraid to have a little fun. A playful prank might just be your next best campaign. No joke. 😉​
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​Until next time, happy selling!​