Late last week, 500 drones were sent into the air over New York City to light up the Manhattan skyline Thursday night for the world to see… a Candy Crush Advertisement.
The stunt was staged for the game’s 10th anniversary and saw the drones used to create a series of in-game imagery, hashtags and slogans, followed by a depiction of Candy crushes ‘PLAY’ button to see just a giant aerial version of the game’s logo hovering menacingly over downtown like a bonus level space invaders. Here are some company footage from the event, showing dozens of people smiling and applauding:
As Business Insider reportHowever, the demonstration was not without its critics. They interviewed a number of specialists, such as researcher Fabio Falchi, who said: “These kinds of things should be stopped by legislation when the reason seems to be lacking before it’s too late.” Now, for the benefit of a company, the real stars are being replaced with this ultra-bright light from drones.”
Astronomers also pointed out that while a single event like this doesn’t pose a huge scientific problem, when they become regular events – which they are rapidly becoming in some places around the world – they quickly become a major source of light pollution, which not only deprives people of their ability to see the stars (and our sleep) but also has serious consequences for wildlife, as it can disrupt bird migration and affect insect populations.
I understand your concerns, and I agree on scientific grounds that they are serious, but also: fuck it in general! We’re crushed by ads every second of every day, whether we’re surfing our favorite video game website (sorry!), watching TV, or just walking to the bus stop. The night sky must have been one of the last places on earth we were ever able to look at without being sold something, so to see this trend gain momentum (the NBA did something similar in Juneand companies specializing in it get more and more work) crap!
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TO UPDATE: While the drones were best seen from lower Manhattan, technically they were actually launched from New Jersey because New York City itself has strict laws against their use. and as reported by this Gothamist story, Manhattan Sen. Brad Hoylman joined those who opposed it last week when he said, “I find it revolting to ruin our city’s skyline for private gain. It’s offensive to New Yorkers, our local laws, public safety and wildlife.”
