Top 5 Unique April Fools’ Day Food Promotions in Korea: From Orion’s Fun Chips to Gong Cha’s Pizza

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[Herald Economy = Reporter Kim Jin] With April Fools’ Day coming up on April 1, food brands are launching playful, limited-time campaigns.

On March 28, industry sources said Orion is once again releasing April Fools’ limited editions, including \”Open Your Eyes\” (originally ‘눈을 뜨자’) and \”Friendly Potato Chips\” (originally ‘상냥한 감자칩’). These snacks are cheeky reversals of existing favorites — a twist on \”Close Your Eyes\” (‘눈을 감자’) and \”Stoic Potato Chips\” (‘무뚝뚝한 감자칩’) — with temporary name swaps for the holiday.

Packaging got the full makeover, too. The \”Open Your Eyes\” wrapper features a wide-eyed potato and slogans that read like playful paradoxes — think “an almost-real fake” and “only once a year.” The character on the \”Friendly Potato Chips\” pack dons pink and holds a bouquet instead of an axe.

The gimmicks caught on online: both items have become buzzworthy in community forums, and social media is full of shoppers posting photos of their purchases.

Orion is also rolling out temporary packaging for other classics like \”Choco Songyi\” (‘초코송이’), \”Cham Bungeoppang\” (‘참붕어빵’), and \”Custard\” (‘카스타드’), using emojis in place of product names. For example, \”Choco Songyi\” is shown with a candle (초), Pinocchio (코), a musical note (송), and two fingers (이).

Starbucks Korea is bringing back the discontinued Chai Tea Latte from April 1–14 as part of Shinsegae Group’s first-half shopping promotion, the \”Landers Shopping Festa.\”

Sales will be limited to 112 Shinsegae-affiliated locations, including Emart, Starfield, and Shinsegae Department Store outlets. On the re-release day, each store will offer a free tall drink to the first 30 customers who order at the counter.

Milk-tea brand Gongcha Korea plans to launch a novelty menu item called \”Pear-Gorgonzola Pizza\” (‘퍼르곤졸라 피자’) on April 1. Rather than honey, the dish piles sweet tapioca pearls on top of a gorgonzola-style cheese crust. Gongcha previously experimented with an oddball menu item dubbed \”Pear-bokki\” (‘펄볶이’), swapping the usual tteokbokki rice cakes for tapioca pearls.

Food companies routinely use April Fools’ Day to cater to consumers looking for lighthearted fun. A Gongcha Korea spokesperson said, “We designed this new menu for April Fools’ Day to give customers a small, joyful escape from everyday life.”