It is April 1 and the Web is full of pranks, jokes and hoaxes. My favorite is this article from Johns Hopkins University here in Baltimore. Or, I guess I should say John Hopkins University now.
This well-respected and world-renowned university was able to poke fun at itself in a clever and smart way. I love the inside-jokiness of it--all the different ways they've heard people try to pronounce "Johns Hopkins"--but the reader also gets a little history lesson in the explanation of where the name actually comes from.
My favorite part? The S has been removed from name in the Web masthead, too! I'm sure it will be back tomorrow, but it's a little touch that really reinforces the joke.
I love it! Universities are serious, sometimes staid, and here is one having some gentle fun. Will some alumni miss the joke and protest? Undoubtedly. But many more, and most current students, will likely have a good laugh. And some high school seniors who are trying to decide between Johns John Hopkins and another school might just decide they want to go someplace with a sense of humor, someplace not so stuffy.
If a university can pull off an April Fool's Day joke, I think credit unions could, too. Or at least incorporate some humor in their marketing.
Of course, not all members will like it. When Cornell University Law School featured Andy Bernard, the fictional character from NBC's "The Office," as one of its distinguished alumni, the reaction was mixed between those who loved it and those who did not.
So if you do go the funny route, be prepared to respond to those who don't see the humor.
Theresa Witham is a CUES editor.
