The Onion AV Club did a nice write-up on how
ThinkGeek.com’s April Fool’s joke backfired in a
commercially pleasant way. They jokingly posted an advertisement
for a sleeping bag based on a Star Wars scene. From the
article:
Star Wars
fans—and they are still legion, despite over 20
years of nonstop setbacks—fondly remember a
sequence in The Empire Strikes Back on the planet Hoth, an arid
wasteland characterized by deadly sub-freezing temperatures. In
order to save Luke Skywalker from certain death, Hans Solo carves
opens the dead carcass of a Tauntaun (described on the Star Wars
“Wookieepedia” as an “omnivorous
reptomammal” that the Rebel Alliance used for transport) with
his Lightsaber and tucks his little buddy inside. Sure, it stinks
to high heaven, but nestled under the Tauntaun’s thick skin
and warm intestines, Luke is saved from a grim
fate.

ThinkGeek’s April
Fool’s joke was the unveiling of the Tauntaun sleeping bag, a plush replica
of the beast featuring a “built-in embroidered Tauntaun head
pillow,” “a glowing Lightsaber zipper pull,” and
“the exact synthetic compounds needed to recreate Tauntaun
fur.” Funny, right? Because who would want to sleep inside an
animal’s, smelly intestines? Answer: The many, many people
eager to fork out $39.99, that’s who!
ThinkGeek is
now trying to actually produce said device and is negotiating with
LucasFilm for the rights. It should fit in well with their other
products such as the Star Wars
Cookbooks, the R2-D2
trashcan and the Darth Vader
USB Hub. And nothing says joie de vivre like a Yoda plush
backpack.
The best
comment from A.V. Club is by “Hack”, who says
“Wow, an idea that was too stupid to fail. Someone deserves
to be fired, then receive a huge bonus.”