April Fools’ Stunt Highlights Trust in Local Radio

The fun campaign made a serious point.

South East Radio and Midlands 103 today entertained listeners with a series of playful and deliberately over-the-top April Fools’ Day advertisements - but with a serious message at their core.

The campaign featured humorous “products” and services including Extra Inches Cream, a Tai Chi fitness programme promising impossible results, and a fictional campaign to reopen schools early for exhausted parents. While designed to raise a smile, the exaggerated claims were intentionally reflective of the types of misleading and false advertisements that are increasingly prevalent online.

At midday, both stations pivoted from humour to a clear and direct message: not all advertising environments are created equal.

Local radio in Ireland remains one of the most trusted media platforms in the country. Research from the Reuters Institute Digital News Report Ireland shows that approximately 70-72% of Irish adults trust local and regional radio, placing it among the most credible sources of news and information.

In contrast, digital platforms continue to face growing scrutiny over the scale of misleading and scam advertising. Industry estimates suggest that billions in revenue are generated annually from fraudulent or deceptive ads, with some reports indicating that as much as 10% of social media advertising revenue may be linked to such content.

As regulated broadcasters, South East Radio and Midlands 103 operate under strict advertising standards. All commercial content must be legal, honest, and truthful, with clear accountability for what is broadcast.

Will Faulkner, Managing Director of South East Radio and Midlands 103, said:

“April Fools’ Day gave us an opportunity to have a bit of fun with our listeners, but also to make an important point. The kind of claims we joked about this morning are the same kinds of claims people are exposed to online every day - and not always in jest.

Local radio is trusted because it is accountable. We stand over every ad we broadcast. That’s not always the case elsewhere.”

The stations are now calling for a level playing field in media regulation.

While broadcasters and digital platforms fall under the remit of the same regulator, enforcement and standards are not always applied equally. South East Radio and Midlands 103 are urging for stronger and more consistent oversight across all platforms to better protect consumers.

“If we are all competing for the same advertising spend, then the same standards should apply to everyone,” Faulkner added. “Listeners and consumers deserve transparency, honesty, and protection - regardless of where they encounter advertising.”

The campaign concludes with a simple message: when you hear it on local radio, you can trust it.

You can hear all of the joke advertisements here.