For a group of seniors at Northwestern University looking for one last hurrah in Evanston, IL, the answer seemed simple: a March Madness-style pickleball tournament.
“We really wanted to bring a lot of Northwestern seniors together through pickleball as an end-of-year celebration – just an opportunity to spend time together,” participant Stephanie Shields says.
Eighteen co-ed pairs of varying experience levels took to the courts over three weekends, from April 20 through May 4, looking to be crowned the winners of the “Great Evanston Pickleball Tournament.” Shields, who was introduced to pickleball by her extended family in 2019, calls the sport a “more approachable” alternative to tennis.
Shields and her partner lost in the second of three rounds, then attended the final round along with 60 other spectators. While the finalists competed at a high level, many players had never played before, but “were really excited to be introduced to it,” according to Shields.
“It definitely has a more level playing field,” she says. “I absolutely love it. I think it’s so much fun. It never really feels like that much of a competitive sport to me; it feels way more like a game.”
The sport’s accessibility, playful nature and widespread popularity have made pickleball a prime pick for promo. In fact, ESP searches for “pickleball” grew 83% from Q1 2023 to Q1 2024, according to ASI Research. Companies looking to get people outside and having fun together see appeal in pickleball-related products, says Sasha Pirrie, vice president of sales for Top 40 supplier Logomark (asi/67866).
The supplier’s pickleball set (two paddles and balls in a drawstring bag, GR6540) has been “selling like crazy,” according to Pirrie. It’s sold out twice since its release late last year.
“We can’t keep it in stock,” Pirrie adds.
The company had its doubts about the product, Pirrie says, and especially about its lower price point (it retails for $15). But following its bestseller status, Logomark is looking to expand its pickleball line, including widening the mesh pockets on its cooler backpack (GR4816) to fit paddles.
In terms of pickleball’s promo purposes, Pirrie points to employee-appreciation gifts along with team-building and wellness activities. She says a Native American-owned casino recently purchased pickleball sets for a family day, as organizers were looking for something that would “inspire people to go out and try something new.”
“I think we’re all dying to get outside. We all have spring fever right now,” Pirrie shares. “We’re all so busy, and we all have our devices all the time. I think pickleball is just another opportunity to learn something new and get people out there together.”
What’s more, the pickleball paddle is a blank canvas ripe for branding opportunities, says Chad Cooper, a sales account executive for Top 40 distributor HALO Branded Solutions (asi/356000). For one outdoor event at a park, the distributor printed pickleball paddles with a QR code directing people to a promotional video.
“I don’t think it’s for every single company,” Cooper says. “But when it comes to building culture, when it comes to looking for a fun, creative, unique idea when someone’s got a decent budget – more than just $1 or $5 – this works out great for them.”
Calling it a “very universal sport,” Cooper says the appeal of pickleball is its user-friendly nature, making it easy to pick up by people of all ages and abilities. And although he doesn’t call pickleball a bestseller for HALO, pickleball-related products are “definitely trending upward.”
“I don’t think it’s a fad,” Cooper adds. “I think it will only grow.”
A SPORTING CHANCE?
Pickleball isn’t the only up-and-coming sport with promo potential. Check out these three growing pastimes and how to capitalize on them.
1. PADEL
Pronounced “poh-del,” this close relative to pickleball integrates a larger paddle and full court-and-wall play. The sport is played on a 20-by-10-meter court enclosed by glass walls, which players can hit the ball off. This makes for a fast-paced game that’s quickly growing in popularity across the U.S.
Originating in Mexico in the 1970s, padel has been described as a combination of pickleball, tennis and squash. The doubles game has generated appeal as a social sport, with high-end padel outposts in Miami and New York City’s Hudson Yards attracting the likes of David Beckham and Dwyane Wade.
Given that a July 2023 Vogue article asked, “Is Padel the New Pickleball?”, the sport may rival the reigning rookie of paddle sports. Padel’s market size was estimated at $327 million in 2022 and is expected to grow 9.6% through 2027.
PITCH: Recommend that clients sponsor amateur padel tournaments and provide branded racquets and balls. Logoed polos and athleticwear could also be part of the mix.
2. FLAG FOOTBALL
Set to become an Olympic sport by 2028, flag football is on the rise, especially among young women. The noncontact sport has been popularized as a safer alternative to conventional football, with women making up 25% of players as the sport’s fastest-growing segment. Last year, about 500,000 girls between ages 6 and 17 played flag football, marking a 63% increase from four years prior.
The sport also has major backers. Earlier this month, the Atlanta Falcons helped establish girls’ flag football teams in 20 Alabama schools. And since its advent in the mid-1990s, the NFL’s FLAG program has developed more than 1,800 youth leagues with about 700,000 players.
PITCH: Suggest fun branded spiritwear and custom rally towels to help fans support local flag football teams.
3. ULTIMATE FRISBEE
With its flying disc frequently seen on college quads, ultimate frisbee has graduated to a league of its own. “Ultimate,” as it’s commonly known, has become a staple sport of high schools, colleges and larger communities nationwide; over 3 million people play nationwide.
Given that it requires only a disc at its most basic level, the field sport, which combines elements of football, basketball and soccer and is not to be confused with disc golf, can be played almost anywhere outside. Ultimate’s professional league is still in growth mode, with players keeping their day jobs, but it’s a popular co-ed, cardio-racing activity for young adults.
PITCH: Logoed flying discs could be a unique addition to a college’s freshman-orientation kit.
