Ola, a cab aggregator with headquarters in Bengaluru, played a prank with social media users on April 1 to celebrate April Fool’s Day.
Ola AirPro: The April Fools’ Day Prank That Had Everyone Talking!
Introduction
Every year, April 1st marks April Fools’ Day—a day filled with laughter, pranks, and jokes. This year, Indian ride-hailing giant Ola took the celebrations to a whole new level by announcing the world’s first fully autonomous electric flying car, the Ola AirPro. Social media erupted with excitement, curiosity, and, of course, a bit of skepticism. Let’s take a deep dive into this hilarious and well-executed April Fools’ prank!
Ola’s Grand Announcement
On April 1, 2021, Ola chairman and CEO Bhavish Aggarwal took to Twitter to unveil the Ola AirPro—a futuristic, fully autonomous electric flying car. The tweet read:
“Excited to unveil the world’s first and only fully autonomous electric flying car. The Ola AirPro. Ab har family bharegi udaan. Test flights now at https://olaairpro.com“
The announcement was accompanied by a sleek promotional image, giving the prank an air of authenticity. Many users were quick to react, some with admiration, while others saw through the joke instantly.
How Netizens Reacted
Twitter exploded with reactions from celebrities, influencers, and regular users. Some were genuinely intrigued, while others played along with the prank:
- Chetan Bhagat humorously asked, “Superb, can I open the windows while up there? I’d love some fresh air. Oh, and prime play too – bina music ke mazaa nahi aayega.”
- Poet Pritish Nandy congratulated Ola at first but later called it the “best prank of the day!”
- Another Twitter user joked, “Will wait for Ola AirPro Max Plus.”
The blend of humor and curiosity made this one of the most talked-about pranks of the year.
The Features of Ola AirPro – A Tech Marvel or a Prank?
Ola didn’t stop at just a tweet; they went all out to add realistic (and hilarious) features to the Ola AirPro on their official prank website. Here are some of the ‘too-good-to-be-true’ specifications:
1. Fully Autonomous Flying
The Ola AirPro was advertised as a fully autonomous vehicle that needed no license to drive or fly!
2. PuraCell Battery – Charge Once, Use Forever
According to Ola, the AirPro was powered by an Ethereum-ion cell-based PuraCell battery, which only needed to be charged once and could run indefinitely!
3. VTOL (Vertical Takeoff & Landing) Technology
This feature allowed the AirPro to take off vertically, making it ideal for urban travel and rooftop landings.
4. Noise-Canceling Cabin
Ola claimed that the AirPro’s cabin was the quietest in its category, making flights peaceful and relaxing.
5. No Charging Required
In a humorous twist, the website stated that AirPro would never need charging again, eliminating the hassle of finding charging docks.
Using sensors, actuators, machine learning, and quantum computing, the AirPro could navigate autonomously while understanding human behavior patterns!
7. Rooftop Parking Everywhere
The Ola AirPro was supposedly designed to park on foldable hexagonal pads placed on every rooftop across major and minor cities in India.
Did People Fall for It?
Many people instantly recognized the announcement as an April Fools’ prank, especially with claims of an eternally self-charging battery and universal rooftop parking pads. However, the presentation was so polished that some people did pause to wonder—”Could this be real?”
Why Ola’s April Fools’ Prank Worked So Well
- Believability – With the rapid progress in AI and electric vehicle technology, a flying car isn’t entirely far-fetched.
- Strategic Timing – The announcement was made on April 1, but the professionalism of the promotional materials made it convincing.
- Humor – The exaggerated yet technically worded features made people chuckle.
- Engagement – The prank sparked thousands of discussions on social media, giving Ola a marketing boost without spending much.
The History of April Fools’ Day Tech Pranks
Ola isn’t the first tech company to pull off an elaborate prank. Here are some famous ones:
- Google’s Mic Drop (2016) – A “drop the mic” feature in Gmail that went horribly wrong.
- Tesla’s Model W (2015) – Elon Musk announced a fake smartwatch named after their cars.
- Netflix’s Binge-Watching Contracts (2018) – A joke about binding users to binge-watching commitments.
The Takeaway – The Art of a Good Prank
A great April Fools’ prank should be believable yet absurd, fun yet harmless. Ola’s AirPro prank ticked all the right boxes, making it a memorable April Fools’ moment in tech history.
Conclusion
Ola’s AirPro prank was a masterstroke in digital marketing, leveraging humor to grab public attention. While the dream of flying cars remains just that—a dream—it does make us wonder: Could we see real autonomous flying taxis in the near future?
FAQs
1. Was Ola AirPro a real product?
No, Ola AirPro was a well-executed April Fools’ Day prank designed to entertain and engage the audience.
2. Why did Ola create this prank?
It was a fun way to generate buzz and keep the brand in the spotlight while giving people a good laugh.
3. Could a real flying car like Ola AirPro exist in the future?
While the technology for flying cars is advancing, we are still far from making them fully autonomous and mass-produced.
4. Did anyone actually believe the prank?
Some people did express excitement and curiosity, but most recognized it as an April Fools’ joke after reading the details.
5. What are some other famous April Fools’ pranks in tech?
Google, Tesla, and Netflix have all pulled off legendary pranks, similar to Ola’s, over the years.
Ola chairman and group CEO Bhavish Aggarwal took to social media to announce that the company has unveiled the world’s first and only fully autonomous electric flying car and test flights of the same are now available at olaairpro.com. However, the announcement turned out to be fake and it was later revealed that it was an April Fool’s Day prank.
He also made an announcement regarding the flying cars’ launch on March 31 as well, when he made the social media users curious with his tweet, saying find out on April 1 what flies on the roads and drives in the air.
