Director Blaine Hogan Infuses Pickleball with Intergenerational Cool in Breakthrough Spot for The Picklr

When a fearsome foursome squares off over the net in a heart-stopping new spot for The Picklr, the growing national chain of indoor pickleball courts, we know that sparks are gonna fly. And that they do in 'Winner Stays On!', a new anthem commercial created by director Blaine Hogan of Tessa Films, working direct-to-client with the brand team at The Picklr. 

Meeting up on a neon-ringed, darkly lit pickleball court, the pairs face off. There’s smack talk and mugging from each pair, more WWE than Wimbledon. On one side, we’ve got a middle-aged hipster sporting a dad bod and headband and his partner, a feisty grandma. On the other, a young athletic dude and his high-flying, cheerleader sidekick. The game begins, and as the play heats up, the crowd weighs in. Who’s gonna come out on top? You have to see it to believe it. To check out the action, check it out on The Picklr’s YouTube channel or its Instagram feed. 

Hogan says the project came to him when James Hurlock, chief brand officer for The Picklr, tracked him down online, after having heard from a colleague that Hogan had worked with him in the past on a spot that involved pro athletes. “And they came to me with this concept of having a diverse group of players meet up for the most epic match ever,” Hogan explains. “I worked directly with the client to come up with a script and a treatment that captured what they were aiming for in terms of excitement and social relevance. We were aiming for a look and feel more like a Nike ad than for your father’s racquetball court. “

Tessa Films quickly got behind the project and lent Hogan assistance in pulling together his direct-to-client team. The project appealed to the director on several levels. He’s done a lot of work with celebrity athletes (LeBron James, for example), and has been eager to do more action-oriented work. “This presented me with an amazing opportunity to really try something I've always wanted to do, with an enormous amount of freedom and a really trusting client.”

The objective of the ad is both to recast pickleball as a hip activity enjoyed by a vastly diverse group of players while raising The Picklr’s brand awareness as it embarks on an ambitious expansion plan. With close to a dozen locations in two states, the company announced today that more than 110 courts are in the works nationwide, with franchise opportunities available. 

Shot on location at the brand’s headquarters in Kaysville, Utah, the spot mixes contemporary-looking shots and camera angles suggestive of rap videos with a retro look that recalls classic comic book type treatments, as words explode on the screen matched to the action, which is seen at times in split screen views. With over the top shots, stylish moves and snap zoom, whip pans and jumps -- all driven by a pounding hip-hop track -- the whole 'Winners Stay On!' vibe is about epic action, culminating with the winning shot delivered by the Asian grandma, who delivers it while flying through the air. 

Hogan partnered with a new VFX studio in Chicago, Voke Studios, to handle the graphics and effects on the spot, which includes rig and mat removal, although the director notes that many of the pickleball shots seen in the final version were captured in camera. 

Casting here played a key role in the success of the project, Hogan says. Working with line producer and casting director Shandi Kano, they cast all of the players locally in Salt Lake City and Park City, and of the four, only one is an experienced pickleball player. As for the Asian grandma who delivers the game-winner, that was proving difficult to cast, Hogan says, until Kano suggested her aunt, who happens to be a championship badminton player. 

Hogan views the spot as having a funky, old school vibe that truly mashes up the cultural touchpoints in its effort to showcase the game in a new light. “I grew up in the ‘80s, so this makes me think of classic Saturday morning Power Rangers shows,” he says. “It’s kind of like pickleball meets ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. The World,’ with a little of everything else thrown in!”