CLASH ROYALE | COPYCATS WELCOME | 2026
If They're Going to Copy You, Copy Them Back / CLASH ROYALE "COPYCATS WELCOME"
The experience points people earned in knockoff games just turned into rewards from the real thing. Instead of suing, they welcomed them in.
The problem
Because Clash Royale is such a globally popular mobile game, it's long been plagued by "copycat games" that imitate its name, look, and characters almost exactly.
The insight
Taking legal action is the usual response. But DAVID and Supercell saw something different: the people playing these copycat games were, in essence, people looking for the Clash Royale experience. They reframed them not as competitors, but as fans who just hadn't found the original yet.
The idea
They made a film where the original characters, the Barbarian and the Archer, get sucked into a portal and end up lost in warped, low-quality knockoff worlds with names like "Bash Royale" and "Space Royale." After battling their own fakes, they return home to the real arena. The ending is a wonderfully bold invitation: upload your progress and currency from the copycat games to a dedicated site, and exchange them for rewards in the real Clash Royale.
What happened
Within five days of launch, more than 2.3 million people exchanged their copycat game progress. At Cannes Lions 2026, the campaign won the Grand Prix in Entertainment Lions for Gaming, and DAVID New York also claimed the title of Entertainment Agency of the Year for the second year running.
Afterthought
The courage to choose "welcome them in" over the usual choice of "sue them" is amazing. Instead of feeling bitter about being copied, they flipped it around: if people are copying you, that just means the demand is there. That kind of nerve is something worth learning from.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2026
