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The timing is terrible. Even if it's not a joke, they've just set themselves up for this exact comment. Surely someone would have thought of this? Just seems l

The timing is terrible. Even if it's not a joke, they've just set themselves up for this exact comment. Surely someone would have thought of this? Just seems like a really bad choice -- too bad for a company like Amazon to make (the timing, that is, coupled with a highly-branded product like this).

walterbell 12y ago
It's excellent timing, no one knows if it's a "joke". Amazon gets coverage either way.
- jader201 12y ago
  I guess, if your philosophy is "bad coverage is still coverage". But hasn't this happened with an Amazon product announcement before, and backfired? Amazon Echo comes to mind. Not even sure that was around April fools, but my point is, bad coverage can, and has often, backfired.
function_seven 12y ago
April Fools jokes don't happen until tomorrow, no? I can't remember any jokes happening on March 31.
- brlewis 12y ago
  It's April 1 in much of the eastern hemisphere.
- jader201 12y ago
  That's sort of my point. Most people, with April Fools just around the corner (and already here, for some), it will still be used in mockery comments about the product, even though they know it's a real product.
  - mcbutterbunz 12y ago
    Its a great marketing opportunity. Get out in front of the other advertisements... i mean pranks.
- asciimo 12y ago
  They're innovators.
gokhan 12y ago
You don't remember Google's April 1st announcement of Gmail, then. With gigabytes of storage, it was the perfect joke for the day and naturally carried by news outlets everywhere. And the joke continued on the next day, people realized that it wasn't actually a joke and, naturally, another media frenzy happened. Perfect example of guerrilla marketing IMO.
- 27182818284 12y ago
  I completely remember that, which is why companies like Amazon should especially know better.
  - metamet 12y ago
    ... wait, what? You specifically remember Gmail's launch (a good thing), and Gmail's launch had multiple phases of publicity (also a good thing). What should Amazon know better about? Gmail launching on April Fools was a net positive thing.

walterbell 12y ago

It's excellent timing, no one knows if it's a "joke". Amazon gets coverage either way.

jader201 12y ago
I guess, if your philosophy is "bad coverage is still coverage". But hasn't this happened with an Amazon product announcement before, and backfired? Amazon Echo comes to mind. Not even sure that was around April fools, but my point is, bad coverage can, and has often, backfired.

function_seven 12y ago

April Fools jokes don't happen until tomorrow, no? I can't remember any jokes happening on March 31.

brlewis 12y ago
It's April 1 in much of the eastern hemisphere.
jader201 12y ago
That's sort of my point. Most people, with April Fools just around the corner (and already here, for some), it will still be used in mockery comments about the product, even though they know it's a real product.
- mcbutterbunz 12y ago
  Its a great marketing opportunity. Get out in front of the other advertisements... i mean pranks.
asciimo 12y ago
They're innovators.

gokhan 12y ago

You don't remember Google's April 1st announcement of Gmail, then. With gigabytes of storage, it was the perfect joke for the day and naturally carried by news outlets everywhere. And the joke continued on the next day, people realized that it wasn't actually a joke and, naturally, another media frenzy happened. Perfect example of guerrilla marketing IMO.

27182818284 12y ago
I completely remember that, which is why companies like Amazon should especially know better.
- metamet 12y ago
  ... wait, what? You specifically remember Gmail's launch (a good thing), and Gmail's launch had multiple phases of publicity (also a good thing). What should Amazon know better about? Gmail launching on April Fools was a net positive thing.