On Thursday night, at least 500 drones will take off from the coast of New Jersey, dancing choreographically in the skies to mimic the colorful experience of swiping candies off of a phone screen. 

Candy-themed Drone Display

According to a report by Gothamist, the swarm of drones will pulse with LED lights from miles of Lower Manhattan featuring an aerial advertisement for the popular mobile video game, Candy Crush. 

However, some New Yorkers are perplexed by the exhibition and questioned why the city's skyline needs to resemble a corporate brand.

According to Fernanda Romano, the chief marketing officer of Candy Crush, the odd project is the most recent entry in the realm of drone light displays, a rapidly expanding technology that enables businesses to transform the sky into the "largest screen on the planet." 

However, some view the drone display as not so "sweet" but an unwelcome source of visual pollution, disruption to the environment, and a potential violation of the city's strict drone use regulations. 

State Sen. Brad Hoylman, a representative of the West Side of Manhattan, told Gothamist that it is "outrageous" that such a display will spoil the city's skyline for private profit.

He received an invitation to the event but insisted that it is "offensive" to the city's locals, laws, and wildlife. 

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GPS-linked Drones

Before making its way to the US in the last year, the practice of employing GPS-linked drones for advertising initially gained popularity in China.  

The exhibition this week, which has a candy theme, is thought to be New York's second of its kind, following a promotion for the NBA draft this past summer. Both were created by Pixis, a drone events firm with headquarters in Virginia. 

Gothamist noted that the city's Avigation Law forbids the use of even one drone in any of the five boroughs. This legislation, which is regularly disregarded, is the focus of an ongoing lawsuit as well as vigorous lobbying by businesses looking to use drones, such as Uber and AT&T. 

According to Jeff Kaplan, the general manager of Pixis, the Candy Crush event will commence from New Jersey's Liberty State Park and will avoid flying across state lines. 

Although using drones in New Jersey state parks is normally prohibited, a representative said the occasion was granted a special use authorization. Additionally, Pixis was successful in getting a waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration that allowed the performances to fly in government airspace. 

According to a representative for the FAA, the organization carefully examines drone show applications to guarantee the safety of individuals on the ground and in the air. 

The candy-themed display will last for 10 minutes and can be viewed within a one-mile radius of Battery Park, but an upcoming drone model will expand that distance to 3 miles, according to Kaplan. 

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Written by Jace Dela Cruz