The Impossible Hoop Challenge

Objective

Cadbury, the official treat provider of the London 2012 Olympic Games, created The Impossible Hoop Challenge to engage audiences ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic events. The game was part of the broader Spots vs Stripes campaign, designed to encourage nationwide participation by splitting consumers into two competing teams and fostering a spirit of play and competition.

Solution

The Impossible Hoop Challenge is a physics-based puzzle game where players catapult a ball through three distinct environments—street, park, and beach scenes—navigating surreal and increasingly complex obstacles including Grenadier Guards, a giant swordfish, and an enormous duck. Players can manipulate the obstacles themselves, creating interactive variety through a gravity-influenced physics engine with randomized elements. The game was integrated into the Spots vs Stripes Hub website and supported both web and mobile augmented reality versions for iOS and Android devices. Points earned in the game contributed to overall team scores in Cadbury's dual-team competition framework.