UK | Lipton's early April Fools' joke about discontinuing their Peach Iced Tea became a marketing mishap worth remembering.
It started when Lipton announced on social media that they would "permanently discontinue" their Peach Iced Tea - a popular summer drink across the UK. The post included a sad goodbye message and black-and-white photos of the bottle, which quickly upset many fans.
Soon, #SaveLiptonPeach was trending. Shoppers cleared shelves in a panic, similar to past toilet roll shortages. Some shops raised prices as people bought in bulk, hoping to resell to desperate tea lovers later.
Fans shared their disappointment online. "Been drinking this since uni, absolutely gutted," wrote one person. Another said, "First they came for Turkey Twizzlers, now Lipton Peach. Is nothing sacred?"
Lipton hadn't expected such strong reactions. When they revealed several days before April 1st that it was just a publicity stunt, people had mixed feelings.
Many felt relieved, but others were angry. "Not bloody funny when I've just paid £15 for the last bottle at my local Tesco," complained one customer.
Marketing experts noted the main problem: April Fools' jokes should be clearly unbelievable, not something that causes real worry. The early timing made things worse.
Despite the backlash, Lipton saw record sales as people stocked up both before and after the reveal. The company later gave some profits to charity to make amends for what had become an awkward situation.
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