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22 NOVEMBER 2024

Welcome to this week’s edition of Culture Wire, a newsletter brought to you by Singapore-based pop culture and lifestyle marketing agency Culture Group.

In this week’s edition:

  • Innovation of the Week: Heard of pickleball? Here’s why it’s taking SEA by storm
  • Fax, No Printer: The latest viral retail stunt, explained
  • Before You Leave: Bluesky rises as an X alternative, and Grab challenges Google Maps

Innovation of the Week

🏓 GAME ON!

If you’ve previously overlooked pickleball, it’s time to change that. Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari wants to introduce the sport – a cross between ping-pong, badminton and tennis – to the 2026 Malaysia Games (SUKMA). He predicts that Asia will become the world’s hub for pickleball, with 100 million new players hitting the court in the next five years. With malls in the Philippines introducing courts to meet growing demand and Vietnam’s Hoiana Resort & Golf ready to host the World Pickleball Championship in January 2025, the sport is on an upswing. Let’s unpack just why pickleball is proving to be a dill-light (no more pickle puns, we promise!). 

💡 OUR TAKE

Founded in Bainbridge Island, Washington in 1965, pickleball exploded in popularity across the US during the pandemic as people looked for outdoor activities. Since then, the sport has gone global, with many attracted to the promise of a fun and communal exercise.

It’s also significantly cheaper than other racquet sports like tennis (per Rappler, a set of 6 pickleballs sells for PHP 160 on e-commerce sites while six tennis balls could set you back PHP 500) and setting up a court is relatively easy. 

In recent months, some high-profile fans (rewatch Taylor Swift’s Fortnight Challenge video!) and fashion influencers have further dispelled the notion that this low-impact sport is only for seniors.

The numbers tell the story: 

  • Singapore now has 30-40 regular pickleball groups with up to 2,000 active players 
  • The Philippines has seen explosive growth from 13 clubs in 2021 to 123 nationwide as of August
  • Major retail players are taking notice – SM Supermalls has already installed courts in 30 of its 86 Philippine malls 
  • In Vietnam, e-commerce sales of pickleball products reached VND 22.7 billion (US$ 918,900) between June-September 2024, up 150% from the previous quarter.

Yes, pickleball is ✅ fun, ✅ accessible and ✅ has cross-generational appeal. But it seems to have arrived in SEA at just the right time. The region’s deep-rooted love of racquet sports – from Malaysia’s badminton legacy to Singapore’s thriving tennis scene – created fertile ground for pickleball’s growth.

We’ve previously charted the rise of casual, everyday running across the region, itself part of the broader shift towards healthier lifestyles among younger people. At the same time, many in this demographic are looking to maintain a better work/life balance – and a weekly pickleball date is a great motivator to leave work on time and switch off for a few hours. Yes, burnt out young professionals could hit the gym or book into yoga or pilates, but they are also keen to find something that is their own. Pickleball is something of a novelty and – because it remained a niche sport for many years – is less likely to come across as exclusionary or unattainable. 

So, what’s next? As the sport continues to grow, fueled by SUKMA and the World Pickleball Championship, more brands will look to engage players through partnerships, sponsorship and collaboration (earlier this year, for example, Valentino took over a court in Dubai). And while that could be valuable, it might be more useful to interrogate the reasons for pickleball’s meteoric rise – chiefly that it sits at the intersection of community, accessibility, and fun. These qualities could ensure it avoids the fate of previous trending sports like dodgeball and futsal.

Fax, No Printer*

For those of you born before 1997, ‘fax, no printer‘ is Gen Z speak for ‘undeniable facts I agree with’

How did one Chinese retail chain market their new season collection?

Scroll to the end of the newsletter for the correct answer!

Before You Leave

This Week's Trivia Answer

A. Swapped mannequins for real women walking on treadmills

As spotted by China Insider, ITIB (a Zara-like fashion brand) is going viral after swapping traditional mannequins for real-life models on treadmills. Walking side-by-side, the models help passersby see how garments fit and move on a real person.

The marketing stunt actually took place last year, but the video has been doing the rounds on social media over the last week, and it seems like some netizens wouldn’t mind getting paid for their cardio. (Note that it’s unclear if the in-store activation was inspired by TikTok creators who often use treadmills as a ‘personal catwalk’ and showcase outfits or if the brand’s marketing team came up with the idea in house.) 

Brands are getting more creative with their in-store marketing, likely to entice online shoppers into stores. While some – like AR mirrors – recreate aspects of mobile commerce, others are exploring experiences that don’t translate into digital commerce. IKEA is a great example – over the last year, the brand has hosted a range of sleep themed pop-ups where visitors can unplug and try out the brand’s products, all designed to promote a better night’s sleep.

Pop-ups and immersive exhibitions aren’t new concepts in the retail space, but with e-commerce growth up 15% year-on-year, mostly propelled by video commerce, brands and marketers will need to rethink the role of the store in an incredibly digital world. In 2025, how might you better connect your on- and offline commerce experiences?

🚀 Over and Out!

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Your Culture Mavens,

Angela, Catherine, Teri, Twila, & Vicki

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