3,075 ft tall projection of video game character Shadow excites fans of Sonic the Hedgehog

On 18 December, shoppers at the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey USA were spooked (and excited) to see one of their favourite characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise projected onto the wall of their local mall.

The projection, aptly depicting Shadow, a rebellious, chaotic magic hedgehog, took up the entire side of the wall, spanning an incredible 3075 sq ft (285.67 sq m)!

Arranged by Paramount Pictures to promote the movie Sonic the Hedgehog 3, they teamed up with tech experts at MAP360 Collective and BML-Blackbird to create the exciting image. 

Thrilled fans even got the chance to “meet” Sonic and Shadow inside, and celebrate with them as Guinness World Records Adjudicator Michael Empric presented the characters with an official certificate and announced their record title for largest shadow projection.

American Dream Mall is the second-largest mall in the United States (behind Mall of America) and is located right next to New York City, so tonnes of shoppers were delightfully surprised by the sudden appearance of their favourite cartoon characters.

The organizers picked a spot next to the ferris wheel so as to not distract drivers coming into the mall, and set up a giant shining light at a cutout of the character to create a huge Shadow on the wall behind them.

Overall, the event was a memorable and entertaining success, and many fans walked away excited to see their new friends again onscreen for Sonic the Hedgehog 3!