April 1 is April Fools’ Day, yet many still fall for fake news and posts, such as this Leyte resident who tattooed his forehead based on a phony contest by a takoyaki business on social media.
Taragis Takoyaki, like all other businesses with an active online presence, posted an April Fools’ Day joke on Facebook. The post indicated a challenge for their followers to put a tattoo of the Taragis logo on their forehead. According to the poster, the first challenger to send proof of the tattooed forehead will get a Php100,000.00 reward.
Ramil Albano, a resident of Leyte, wholeheartedly participated in the challenge and immediately went to a tattoo artist who inked the brand on his forehead. He even took photos of the process, showing proof of his actions. He also sent a direct message to the company to make sure that he would be the first challenger and the definite winner.
Unfortunately, Albano failed to check whether the post’s validity was absolute. So, when he commented on the proof of his tattooed forehead on the same post, netizens were shocked! After the final tattoo was revealed, many demanded that Taragis Takoyaki give the reward.
A LESSON ON SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTABILITY
The Taragis Takoyaki management defended themselves, saying they shouldn’t be blamed for the incident, especially since they included an “April Fools” decor on the post itself. However, netizens rallied against the brand’s decision to wash their hands, especially since April Fools” is a Western type of celebration. Others commented that the incident could have been caused by cultural differences.
After careful consideration and the constant bombardment of negative comments and messages, the management of Taragis Takoyaki decided to give Albano his reward of Php100,000.00.
Carl Quion shared a video of Taragis official Facebook page showing that he met with Albano and granted him the promised cash reward along with a public apology. “Sa lahat ng nagkaroon ng negatibong pananaw sa naging April Fool’s post namin, humihingi ako ng tawad. At sana magsilbing aral ito sa ating lahat … na maging responsable tayo sa lahat ng inu-upload natin,”. [Translation: “To all who thought that our April Fools post was not appropriate, we apologize. And hopefully, this incident will serve as a lesson … to be responsible for anything we upload on social media.]
Aside from the Taragis management, Albano also received the sympathy of other businesses, especially when the story about his child with Down Syndrome started to circulate in the internet. One brand, Gluta Lounge, gave him Php10,000.00 along with a free tattoo removal service.
Here are the other brands offering help to Albano:
- Project Glow Up – Php 100,00.00
- Nicole Caluag (Manic Beauty) – Php 100,00.00
- BOSS Philippines – Php 10,000.00
- Christian Ish Bautista – Php 5,000.00
- Micchiatos Coffee – Php 5,000.00
- Hannah Seuton – Php 3,000.00
- PONG’s Buffalo – Php 1,000.00
- 3S Siblings FOOD HOUSE – Cash prize
- GppPower GadgetShop – Free iPhone
- Boss Suavé Barbershop – Free on all services forever
- Mr.Inasal Buhay na Tubig-Imus – Free inasal
- HARI Appliance – Free HARI TV 32” | Android 12
- Malibhu View Resort – Free lifetime access to resort
Given the recent incident, it raises the question: should brands continue to post seasonal pranks and jokes during April Fools?
