April Fool's Day - Marketing Style

It's that time of year again--April 1st, the day when marketers go all out to be as silly as they can be, to build buzz and connect with customers in a fun way.

Here's a rundown on some silly one-day gags:

• Google announces the beta version of Google Nose, which generates aromas to match what you're searching for. "Don't ask, don't smell" is its motto. 

• Google also tells users that its YouTube site was running the world's longest-running video contest--and today is the final day. As of tomorrow, all videos will be erased.  Yikes.

• ThinkGeek, the overlords of ironic gifts and gadgets, is offering a new line of almost believable products like the Death Star Trench Toss (above) and PlayDoh 3D Printer (duh).

• Twitter has a new optional service, Twttr, which saves even more space and time by eliminating vowels. Sorry, Vanna.

• Sir Richard Branson announced, via blog, the intro of his new glass-bottomed jetliner for sightseeing at 40,000 feet. Just the thing for his Little Red airline.

• Bing, the Microsoft-backed search engine, is having some fun of its own by giving you a little smile if you type "Google" into its search space. Try it and see! But don't wait until April 2d.