How Wiffle Ball Has Endured Without Advertising, Licensing or Product Placement

This ordinary plastic sphere with 8 holes became the national pastime of the American backyard

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Nineteen fifty-three was a seminal year in world history. Biologists discovered the double helix of DNA. Sir Edmund Hillary reached the top of Everest. Dr. Jonas Salk perfected the polio vaccine. And in a suburban backyard in Fairfield, Conn., a bunch of kids played the first game of Wiffle Ball.

All right, so maybe a kids’ game doesn’t quite rank with those feats—but still, in the traditions of leisure, in the annals of Americana, it’s hard to find a game as accessible, universal and enduring as Wiffle Ball.

Consider: While the company does not release sales statistics, millions—likely tens of millions—of Wiffle balls are sitting in American homes at this moment.

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This story first appeared in the May 6, 2019, issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.