The April Fool Archive

Miller Lites    (April Fool's Day - 2000)

Miller Beer announced it had struck an agreement with the town of Marfa, Texas to become the exclusive sponsor of the phenomenon known as the Marfa Mystery Lights. These are spherical lights which appear south of the town each evening, seeming to bounce around in the sky. They're variously rumored to be caused by ghosts, swamp gas, or uranium (though they're probably caused by the headlights from the nearby highway). Miller announced that under the terms of the agreement the Marfa Lights would be renamed the Miller Lites. The local paper, which was in on the joke, printed the news on its front page.
Advertising Themed April Fool's Day Hoaxes April Fool's Day Hoaxes Involving National Landmarks Corporate April Fool's Day Hoaxes American April Fool's Day Hoaxes April Fool's Day, 2000

More content from the Hoax Museum:

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The Berners Street Hoax, 1810

Adolf Hitler Baby Photo Hoax, 1933

Comments

The Marfa Lights are most assuredly not headlights from passing cars. They were documented decades before cars were available and are seen even when there aren't any cars on the highway.

Here's a great summary of their history and the present theory on their cause.

http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/MM/lxm1.html
Posted by St. Murse  on  Thu Mar 31, 2005  at  11:19 PM
I have no idea what they are, but I have been to Marfa and have seen said lights. That part, at least, is not an April Fool's joke, although giving naming rights to Miller is pretty clever.
Posted by Jeff  on  Tue Apr 01, 2008  at  08:29 PM