Case Study: How Pulse turned National Candy Day into a tech-led, blow-controlled gaming experience

Pulse marked National Candy Day 2025 with a tech-led twist by launching India’s first blow-controlled digital surfing game, turning a typically generic occasion into an interactive, youth-focused experience. Hosted on a dedicated microsite, the game invited users to navigate a Pulse-themed virtual ocean using breath-based controls, blending novelty, gameplay and social sharing to drive engagement among Gen Z. Here's a case study on it.

Category Introduction 

As per the Passport Euromonitor International Report on Sugar Confectionery in India (October 2025), the Indian sugar confectionery category is valued at over INR 12,300 crore in 2025 and continues to thrive with a CAGR of 6.7% from 2020 to 2025. 

Brand Introduction

Pulse candy, part of Dharampal Satyapal Group (DS Group), recorded over ₹750 crore at consumer price in the FY 2024-25, translating into 750 crore Pulse candies being sold in one year. This achievement establishes Pulse's strong market leadership in the hard-boiled candy segment over the last nine years and its sustained appeal to consumers. Over the past three fiscal years, the brand has registered a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 15% against a CAGR of 9% in the hard-boiled candy segment industry. According to market data, it currently holds a 19% market share in India’s hard-boiled candy segment and has been growing consistently. 

Marketing Objective 

The National Candy Day 2025 campaign aimed to cement Pulse as the digital owner of National Candy Day in India. The mandate was to create a disruptive, tech-driven, immersive experience that would excite Gen Z and digital natives, transforming a category-generic occasion into a brand-owned youth property. Building upon last year’s audio-controlled #ScreamForPulse mechanic, the brand pioneered India’s first blow-controlled digital surfing game.

Summary

Pulse reimagined National Candy Day into a futuristic, playful and technology-first celebration. Users entered a dedicated microsite and navigated a high-energy Pulse-themed virtual water arena through breath-based gestures. The 60-second surfing challenge rewarded agility, speed and repeat attempts, encouraging social sharing and viral behaviour. This activation converted a passive day of celebration into a gamified, community-driven digital moment.

Problem Statement 

Pulse wished to claim National Candy Day as its own and differentiate strongly in a cluttered digital landscape. The challenge was to create an experience that felt fresh, futuristic and relevant for Gen Z, who demand novelty, technology and interactivity. 

Brief 

To create a mobile-first, gamified digital experience for National Candy Day that:

• Introduces a unique, first-of-its-type gameplay mechanic, creating a futuristic tech experience.

• Engages Gen Z and young digital audiences through challenge, competition, and shareability.

• Blends fun, flavour, and interactivity to strengthen Pulse’s persona as an innovative youth brand.

Creative Idea 

To bring alive the brand’s spirit of flavour, fun and thrill, the brand created a breath-controlled surfing game experience, transforming human breath into a motion-gesture interface. The game was set inside a dynamic Pulse candy ocean with immersive graphics, obstacles and candy power-ups. Vibrant brand colours, fluid motion design and the rush of speed created a sensory digital adventure, encouraging repeat play and competitive sharing. This convergence of technology, design and brand storytelling established a breakthrough digital expression for the brand.

Challenges 

• Designing a blow-detection model responsive across diverse smartphones and microphone sensitivities.

• Balancing futuristic innovation with an intuitive, accessible user interface suitable for broad demographic participation.

• Ensuring seamless performance on varied bandwidths within India’s heterogeneous digital environment.

Execution 

The game went live on the dedicated microsite www.pulsecandyday.com. The experience was promoted with a digital-first approach across Instagram and Facebook, supported by reels, teaser videos, countdown creatives and performance assets that encouraged users to play. The communication tone combined energy, youthfulness and tech-led excitement, highlighting India’s first blow-controlled game. The microsite hosted the 60-second surfing challenge, retry options and social share features, making participation easy and addictive. The campaign ran for one week around National Candy Day, creating a focused engagement window and driving high repeat play behaviour.

Results 

Quantitative:

• 30 million+ reach across digital platforms.

• 0.3 m users visited the microsite.

• 14K game plays within the first 7 days.

• Thousands of shares via in-game social sharing features.

Qualitative:

• Earned coverage in marketing & advertising media houses 

• One of India’s most innovative digital campaigns.

• Positive audience sentiment for the unique blow-controlled mechanic.

• Strengthened Pulse’s perception as an inventive, youth-centric brand.

Arvind Kumar, Senior General Manager, Marketing, Confectionery, DS Group, said,
“Pulse Candy consistently aims to create novel consumer experiences. This year’s blow-controlled digital campaign is a significant leap forward in Pulse’s journey of innovation. Candy Day 2025 demonstrates DS Group’s commitment to technology, creativity, and innovation in deepening emotional connections with our audiences in exciting new ways. This campaign celebrates the joy of Pulse in an imaginative, interactive and tech-forward manner.”