Firm runs April 1 spoof up flagpole

The traditional and generally good-natured pranksterism of April Fool’s Day lives on.

Visitors to the OtterBox website on the morning of April 1 discovered a tongue-in-cheek announcement that the Fort Collins-based maker of protective cellphone cases had purchased the licensing rights to the state flag of Colorado.

Instead of the traditional red, blue, white and yellow colors, the OtterBox statement declared that henceforth the banner’s colors would be those of OtterBox itself: yellow and black.

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“To most, this might be shocking news,” the statement said. “Never before has OtterBox or the state pulled off such bold and ambitious branding efforts. OtterBox decided to collaborate with the state of Colorado’s ‘Brand Colorado’ initiative to demonstrate its affiliation with the active, outdoor lifestyle Colorado is known for, and provide a one-time revenue source for the state.”

The company even got Gov. John Hickenlooper to play along.

“By adopting the OtterBox brand image, Colorado strengthens its creative, playful and outdoorsy reputation on a global scale,” said the governor in a media release. “Plus, now I get to ride the slide at OtterBox headquarters whenever I want. Who doesn’t love a slide?”