If you haven’t heard of pickleball yet, you will. With 650 percent growth since 2013, it’s the fastest growing sport in the world. (Think tennis meets ping pong.) But with all that growth and new brands vying for a slice of the market, how was pickleball’s O.G. paddle manufacturer supposed to stay on top?

That was the question Paddletek asked us to answer. They’ve been making the best paddles in the game since before pickleball evolved into the competitive sport it is today. But their old identity felt out of step with the current generation of players, and upstarts were claiming market share.

To reach new players, Paddletek needed a younger, more competitive feel. So Y&L completely reshaped the brand, giving them a fierce, athletic edge. We started by streamlining their paddles into three series—Bantam, Tempest, and Phoenix—making it easier to find the right paddle for any style of play.

Next, we redesigned the paddle faces with bold, geometric designs, each available in five colorways. We even created a first-in-the-sport custom paddle generator, allowing players to put their own spin on each design. Together, the three paddle faces create a strong, consistent identity—one that communicates that Paddletek is the right choice to take your game to the next level.

Our goal was to defend Paddletek’s title as No. 1 in the game, plus broaden their audience by appealing to young players. And it worked: in the first five months, Paddletek tripled their year over year sales.