Candy Crush Saga Bursts into the Real World in Hypnotic Spots from BBH

The fun of Candy Crush Saga, King’s smash hit match-three puzzle game, bursts out of phones and into the real world in a series of immersive films developed with BBH.

Players are at the heart of the campaign, with what they love about Candy Crush Saga - excitement, sweet victory and relaxation - dramatised in BBH’s three films, all directed by Joseph Mann through Blinkink.

While the action in the films is fantastical, King and BBH used as many real world effects and props as possible on the shoots, creating a sensory experience that is immersive and hypnotic. This included building physical versions of candy pieces, using trained acrobats for aerial sequences, and employing practical effects on set including lighting and wind, and working with FX experts to ensure the textures and explosive qualities of the iconic candies were just right.

The audio was created in collaboration with the in-house team at King, who composed bespoke tracks that are distinctive to each spot and reflect the emotion at the centre of each idea, but also feature sounds from the Candy Crush world.

The first film, ‘Whoosh’, focused on achievement and starts with Candy Crush Saga players hanging out on a beach at sunset, only to find themselves propelled into the stratosphere on a column of candy pieces after some particularly triumphant matching. It is followed this week with ‘Spin’ and the third, ‘Float’, which breaks in November 2023.

Adam Newby, creative director at BBH, said, “BBH has a rich history of stunning craft, and working on these films really gave us a chance to flex those muscles, taking the core idea and executing it to the highest degree possible. We wanted to dramatise the moments when people play Candy Crush Saga and show how the magic of the game transforms their world. Our director, Joseph Mann, brought real wit, charm and technical expertise to the execution of the films.” 

Luken Aragon, VP marketing Candy Crush Saga at King, “This campaign really demonstrates how we’re ‘Making the World Playful’ and how we work to deliver those moments of escapism for our players. We loved seeing our candies as never before, closer than ever before, and more fun than ever before, bringing to life the power of play and the sweetness of victory in the most indulgent and immersive way.”

Joseph Mann, director added, “Bringing Candy Crush Saga's iconic candies into three very different worlds was a delight. To ensure our worlds felt tangible and our cast immersed within them I shot as much practically as I physically could! This involved hanging talent upside down by their feet in a deli, attaching folk to model made shooting stars and tucking cast up into a cosy but wobbly bed.”

The idea and initial script was developed by No Problem, Candy Crush’s former agency, with BBH London leading on final script development, creative execution and production. The campaign runs on DRTV for a 12-month period.