Google, KS

In my preparation for today’s presentation I stumbled across a variety of noteworthy April Fools pranks. One in particular stuck out. Google has a history of April 1 hoaxes. Past pranks include partnering with Virgin to establish “Virgil,” a full-fledged attempt to colonize Mars, Google maps integrating treasure maps, and, most recently, an application enabling users to smell and taste through their phone or tablet. Perhaps I find these so laughable because they come from such a reputable source that victims are genuinely fooled. More so, Google expends a great deal of time, effort and money to pull these notorious pranks.


Three years ago Google began advertising a project to bring super-high-speed Internet to one city. Boasting speeds up to twenty times faster than current commercial options, municipalities across the U.S. were vying for selection. Additionally, a project of this scale would bring jobs and notoriety to its selected city. The project was positive on all fronts.


Hilarity ensued as cities established campaigns to attract Google’s eye. Much like the company, campaigns took on a wacky, creative nature. The Mayor of Duluth, MN, for example, jumped into Lake Superior in the dead of winter. Topeka, KS changed its name to “Google,” hoping to capture Google’s attention. Topeka’s quest for attention was a success. 


Months later on April 1st, Google changed its name to Topeka and later issued the following release. 
Google CEO, Eric Schmidt, explained, “We didn’t reach this decision lightly; after all, we had a fair amount of brand equity tied up in our old name. But the more we surfed around Topeka’s municipal website, the more kinship we felt with this fine city at the edge of the Great Plains. Don’t be fooled. Even Google recognizes that all roads lead to Kansas, not just yellow brick ones. 


Google was back to normal by April 2nd. 


Being a Kansas City native, I felt that I had to share Google’s 2010 prank. I think this is a great example of the incongruity theory because it is irregular for such reputable institutions, a municipality and a blue-chip company, to fool around in such a grandiose manner. There was a moment of panic and surprise, though the public quickly caught on, given Google’s track record. Meanwhile, Topeka (which has since changed its name back) and Google conducted business with a straight face, making their hoax all the more believable. Also, Schmidt’s press release is overflowing with sarcasm, which is one of my favorite modes of comedy. The thought of Google identifying its kinship with Topeka through browsing their webpage is absurd, and, of course, Schmidt couldn’t mention Kansas without referring to the Wizard of Oz.