Multicopter drone flying over lower Manhattan
Look, up in the sky! It's a bird, it's a plane, it's — a massive advertisement for a mobile game.
To celebrate its 10th anniversary, Candy Crush will launch 500 synchronized and pre-programmed light-equipped drones in the New York City sky Thursday night to recreate some elements from the uber-popular game, according to a press release.
Technically, the drones will be launched from across the Hudson River in New Jersey, but can be viewed after sundown from lower Manhattan, which will be "transformed into a candified carnival where viewers can enjoy this surreal takeover of the New York City Skyline," the press release stated.
Candy Crush first teased its drone show in an Oct. 24 video it tweeted out, showing a drone carrying a character into the night sky, with the city skyline behind it.
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An event at the Battery Park Esplanade Plaza will have music, games, food and drinks — all leading up to the 10-minute aerial show.
It will be the the second drone show of its kind in the five boroughs, after a similar event promoting the NBA Draft in Brooklyn earlier this year, according to Gothamist. While it sounds to be one of the more unique (if not head-scratching) advertising experiences, some aren't exactly welcoming stunts of this kind to becoming more common.
“I think it’s outrageous to be spoiling our city’s skyline for private profit,” state Sen. Brad Hoylman told Gothamist. Hoylman's district is on the west side of Manhattan, where the show will be visible from.
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"It’s offensive to New Yorkers, to our local laws, to public safety, and to wildlife," he told the outlet.
It is illegal to fly even just one drone within New York City, which could explain why the machines are being launched from across the river. The city's law is being challenged in courts; meanwhile, seeing drones fly in the city's parks or waterfronts is not exactly uncommon.
