This coming Friday is a great opportunity to have some fun – and get some great PR!

The British press has a long tradition of teasing readers with April Fools’ stories – and savvy brands can get in on the act.

The trick is for your story to be as believable, fun - and photogenic - as possible. Last year’s gems included stories about:

• Virgin Media using ferrets to help lay broadband cables
• AA patrolmen testing ‘rapid response’ James Bond-style rocket powered jetpacks
• The Queen opting to travel by Easy Jet to save money
• The Sun’s new edible newsprint (warning: May contain nuts)
• Development of a new body odour absorbing shirt (Gillette)
• A new Google feature to translate animal ‘speech’
• Colour coded bonnet badges for BMW’s – aligned to your political allegiance
• Launch of a left handed sandwich
• A new WD 40 aftershave