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.
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, the company is looking to expand its pickleball line, including widening the mesh pockets on its cooler backpack 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. 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.”