--- title: "New Yorkers Furious at Drones Forming Huge “Candy Crush” Ad Over Skyline" description: "Five hundred drones took to the sky in NYC, not to entertain onlookers with a futuristic dance of lights — but to show them Candy Crush ads." date: "2022-11-04" modified: "2022-11-04" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/new-yorkers-furious-candy-crush-drones" categories: - "Drones" - "Future Society" - "Robotics" - "Robots and Machines" tags: - "advertising" - "drones" - "new york city" - "the digest" --- # New Yorkers Furious at Drones Forming Huge “Candy Crush” Ad Over Skyline ![Five hundred drones took to the sky in NYC, not to entertain onlookers with a futuristic dance of lights — but to show them Candy Crush ads.]() *\Image: Gary Hershorn/Getty Images\* ## Drone Zone Five hundred drones took to the sky over the Hudson River in New York City Thursday evening, not to entertain onlookers with a futuristic dance of lights — but to show them ads for the mobile game Candy Crush, a [stunt]() that has sparked a fierce debate among New Yorkers. According to Candy Crush chief marketing officer Fernanda Romano, the obnoxious light-up ad was meant to celebrate the game's tenth anniversary by turning "the sky into the largest screen on the planet," as [*Gothamist* reports](). That ambition, as it turns out, was anathema to residents of the Big Apple. "Hoping some of the NYC residents shoot down the candy crush drones," one user [wrote](). ## Offensive The inescapable drone billboard also drew scorn from local politicians, with state senator Brad Hoylman telling *Gothamist* that "It’s offensive to New Yorkers, to our local laws, to public safety, and to wildlife." "I think it’s outrageous to be spoiling our city’s skyline for private profit," he added. Twitter users were equally appalled at the shameless marketing stunt. Another [wrote that]() "every single person who saw this ad and isn't a child knows about candy crush and stopped playing it seven years ago." All you did was provide a massive nuisance," they wrote. "Never do this again." Candy Crush had to overcome many hurdles to be allowed to fly its 500 drones. The company behind the show, called Pixis, launched the drones from New Jersey's Liberty State Park to avoid crossing into New York, where rules are much more restrictive, according to *Gothamist*. Advertisers are going to greater and greater lengths to shove their billboards in people's faces, from [floating LED ad barges](), all the way to concepts of [satellite-based ads]() literally glowing in the night sky. It's a depressing new chapter in the age of advertising — an inescapable hell that apparently not even New York City's world-famous skyline is immune to. **READ MORE:** [Backlash after 500 drones light up New York City sky to celebrate Candy Crush]() \[*The Guardian*\] **More on the ads:** *[Huge Drone Swarm to Form Giant Advertisement Over NYC]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()