The Intel Noise Maker Prank

I’ve been going through old Tumblr posts, and this one made me laugh. It’s from March 2014, and the caption is just “Someone at Intel is feeling very smug.”

The video shows an Intel promotional item - some kind of noise maker or sound device that Intel had sent out as part of their marketing. I don’t remember exactly what it was - maybe something from a trade show, or a promotional item that came with some hardware. But it made noise, and that was enough.

The Setup

Rob Belgrave had just got a new car. I don’t remember the make or model, but it was new, and he was proud of it. As you do when you get a new car, you show it off, you talk about the features, you let people have a look around.

And that’s when I saw my opportunity.

The Intel noise maker was sitting around the office - one of those promotional items that accumulates when you’re in tech. It was small enough to hide, and it made noise. Perfect.

The Execution

I waited for the right moment. Rob had left his car unlocked, or maybe he’d left the window down, or maybe I’d managed to get access somehow. I don’t remember the exact mechanics, but I got the noise maker into the car and hid it somewhere he wouldn’t immediately find it.

Under a seat, maybe. Or in the glove box. Somewhere that wasn’t immediately obvious, but where it would eventually be discovered.

The beauty of this prank was its simplicity. No complex electronics, no elaborate setup, no remote triggers. Just a noise maker, hidden in a car, waiting to be found.

The Payoff

I don’t remember exactly how long it took for Rob to find it, or what his reaction was. But I do remember the satisfaction of knowing it was there, waiting. Every time he got in the car, there was a chance he’d discover it. Every time he reached for something in the glove box, or adjusted the seat, or cleaned out the car, there was a possibility.

That’s the thing about good pranks - they’re not about the immediate reaction. They’re about the anticipation, the knowledge that something unexpected is waiting, and the eventual discovery.

Why Intel Was Feeling Smug

The original caption - “Someone at Intel is feeling very smug” - was probably a reference to Intel’s marketing. They’d created this promotional item, sent it out into the world, and here it was being used for something completely unintended.

Intel probably thought they were creating brand awareness, or generating excitement about a product launch, or whatever marketing goal they had. But what they’d actually created was a perfect prank device - small, portable, and capable of making noise at unexpected moments.

That’s the thing about promotional items. You never know where they’ll end up, or what they’ll be used for. Intel thought they were marketing. I thought they were providing prank supplies.

The Lesson

Looking back, this prank captures something about that time at Wirehive. We worked hard, but we also had fun. We took our work seriously, but we didn’t take ourselves too seriously. And sometimes the best way to build team culture is through the small, silly moments that people remember.

Rob, if you’re reading this - I hope you found it eventually. And I hope it made you laugh, even if it was a few days later when you finally discovered what was making that noise.

Sometimes the simplest pranks are the best ones. And sometimes the best marketing materials are the ones that can be repurposed for entirely different goals.

Intel, if you’re reading this - you’re welcome. Your promotional item brought joy, just not in the way you intended.