“We were actually at the Super Bowl and Raisin Bran was sponsoring an event. Anna Leigh was with us and she turns and says to us, ‘I love Raisin Bran,’ and a lightbulb went off in my head,” explained Harwood. “I immediately went back, called Kellogg’s, and said that we were doing an event with MLP in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which is an hour away from their headquarters. I said, ‘We’ve got to do something fun here.’ That’s how it all started.”

It was a hit. 

“We had 30 to 40 fans authentically come up to us and say ‘Can we please buy the jerseys?’” said Harwood.

The new look leans fully into the fun, and it works. The purple-and-yellow colorway is instantly recognizable, and the “Breakfast is served” tagline on the back of the shirts is a clever touch.

More importantly, the Fibes grabbed everyone’s attention. When a team with an already strong brand makes a sudden, playful shift like this, people notice. And when it’s backed by some of the biggest names in pickleball, the buzz only grows louder.

“They’re a multi-generational brand and they’re trying to reach everyone from the baby boomers to the Gen Z and Gen Alpha, and that’s the epitome of pickleball,” noted Harwood. “We’re seeing it right now. There are teenagers coming into the sport and the OGs who are older that have been playing the sport forever.”

“Raisin Bran is one of the brands that provides a ton of fiber for you, which is why we called it ‘The Fibes.’ It was serendipitous to just have to change a letter,” mentioned Harwood. “But that was the message they wanted to get across.”

Harwood hopes the partnership’s next phase will bring limited-edition jerseys, hats, and other fan gear to market.

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