Huggies played an April Fools prank on Vivocity shoppers today (April 1) by erecting an "Electronic Baby Pricing" (EBP) at the mall. The practical joke was that if you weren't a parent with a stroller or a baby, you would have to pay a fee to get through.

In its press release, Huggies says:

Huggies played a prank on pedestrians at Vivocity on the morning of April Fool’s Day. Visitors were shocked to see an “Electronic Baby Pricing” (EBP) sign erected along the pathway. The practical joke was that if you were not a parent with a stroller or a baby in hand, you would have to pay a fee in order to get through, much like how one would have to pay a fee to get through Orchard Road in a car. An “EBP police” then informed pedestrians that EBP was a new electronic system of pricing for pedestrians based on the “Electronic Road Pricing” (ERP) system that has been quite popular in Singapore. Shocked pedestrians tried to argue their way out of being fined as they watched parents and moms with strollers pass by breezily without having to pay a fine.

A father tried to prove that he had kids by showing the pedestrian police pictures of his children so that he would not have to pay the fine. This was to no avail; however, as only parents who had children with them were allowed to pass through without paying any fines.

Others expressed similar shock and dismay at the new system of rewarding parents, while, hidden cameras installed around the EBP sign captured all kinds of reactions from the pedestrians as the “EBP police” handed out fine tickets. After the fake news crew interviewed the pedestrians about their feelings and captured their shocked and confused reaction, the crew pulled out a big green sign that read “April fools! from Huggies.” Laughter and relief then ensued as the pedestrians realised it was indeed April Fool’s Day.

The father who realised he didn’t have to pay the fine was extremely relieved and said, “Aiyah, you guys are so funny! I’m going home to tell my wife and play with my kids”. Another lighthearted couple who were also pranked jokingly commented to the fake news crew, “We are not waiting any longer; we are going home right now to make a baby!”

Cupcakes were given out to those who were pranked and Huggies also gave out pre-natal kits to expectant mothers passing in the area. Huggies pre-natal kits are a treasure trove of information for expectant mothers with information on what mothers can expect during pregnancy, how to bond with the baby even before it’s born, how to prepare for the arrival of their new babies and what they can do to give the best care for newborns.