Toddlers playing pickleball
E*TRADE "Picklebabies" advertisement. YouTube

Pickleball makes the Super Bowl 

DALLAS, TX – There are two kinds of people in this world: those who watch the Super Bowl for the football, and those who watch it for the commercials and half-time show.

And while I was completely locked in on the matchup between Kansas City and San Francisco thanks to my enthusiasm for Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, Travis Kelce, I was utterly delighted to see my favorite pastime make an appearance during the biggest game of the year. 

Pickleball graced everyone’s TV screens on Sunday when finance company, E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley, aired a 30-second commercial featuring America's fastest-growing sport. 

The ad called “Picklebabies” depicts two baby pickleballers playing against two adults.

“It’s basically tennis for babies, but for adults,” said one of the picklebabies.  

E*Trade expertly connected their brand to pickleball. It's just another metaphor in their company’s running campaign that investing with E*TRADE is so easy, even a baby could do it. 

And pickleball certainly falls in line. It's deceptively simple and with a low barrier of entry. 


The commercial was wonderfully clever and expertly executed. From the picklebabies’ intense opponents who celebrate a little too much, to the cool edit of the paddles in the babies’ hands, it’s absolutely perfect from start to finish.

My only gripe is that they just shook hands after the match instead of paddle tapping, which would’ve been the icing on the pickleball cake. 

This commercial was by far the best of the night. Although, I’m always little bit biased, of course.