If you haven’t fallen down the Savannah Bananas rabbit hole yet… what are you even doing? Go. Open a new tab. Watch five grown men do a coordinated dance routine in the middle of a baseball game while wearing stilts. I’ll wait.

Back? Good.

The Savannah Bananas are not your grandpa’s baseball team. In fact, baseball purists might consider them a direct threat to the sport itself. They replaced tradition with pure spectacle and created something that’s impossible to ignore. 

Born out of a minor league park in Savannah, the Bananas are now a traveling entertainment machine that just so happens to use bats and balls. They’ve sold out every single game since 2016 and have a ticket waitlist of over 3 million people. Yes, you read that right. 

They’re currently on a world tour, playing in MLB and NFL stadiums across the country. ESPN called them “the greatest show in sports” and is broadcasting 10 of their games this summer. And with over 9.9 million followers on TikTok (more than any MLB team), the Bananas are clearly doing something right.

This is what changing the game actually looks like.

‍

Rule #1 “Forget the rules. Write your own.”

Most teams at this level are trying to claw their way into the majors. The Bananas were like, “Cool cool. But what if instead… we didn’t?”

So they invented Banana Ball. 

⚾️ No dead time.
⚾️ No stepping out of the box.
⚾️ No bunting.
⚾️ Fans can catch a foul ball for an out.
⚾️ First team to 5 points in an inning wins the inning.
⚾️ First to win 5 innings wins the game.

There’s TikTok dances between innings, mic’d up players, walk-up songs for the pitcher, and so much more. In essence, it’s a faster, weirder, fan-first version of the game that’s more party than America’s pastime — built for people who think regular old baseball is… eh... kinda boring. Sorry not sorry.

Brand Takeaway:

‍Copying the masses won’t make you the category leader.
When everyone else is sticking to the same tired playbook, do something different. There's no competition if you’re the only one worth watching.

‍

Rule #2 “Sell the promise, not the product.”

The Bananas are not selling baseball. They’re selling joy. 

It’s totally chaotic and absurd. It’s twerking umpires that suddenly make you question everything you thought you knew about sports. It’s the kind of fun that makes you forget it’s only Tuesday.

They repositioned the game entirely — as a baseball-themed circus. (That’s why the founder wears a yellow tux. He’s the ringmaster!)

Brand Takeaway:

People don’t just buy what you do. They buy how you make them feel.
Forget the features and specs. Focus on the experience. And if it happens to involve a guy cartwheeling into the batter’s box? Even better.

‍

Rule #3 “Don't play it safe. Play to win.”

Let’s be real. If you walked into a VC meeting and said:

“Here’s an idea: A baseball team with a rock band, players in kilts, and a guy dressed as a banana doing the worm on third base,”

Most organizations would laugh you out of the room. 

But the Bananas didn’t toe-dip. They didn’t “test and learn.” They went bananas-to-the-wall. They picked a lane, painted it bright yellow, and went full speed ahead. And it paid off. 

Brand Takeaway:

The ideas that terrify you? Those are the ones worth doing.
Safe won’t get you booed — but it won’t get you remembered either. Be the brand that dares to show up to the boardroom in a banana suit.

‍

Peelin’ Back the Curtain 🍌

The Bananas have the strategy thing figured out. They’ve got:

• A scarcity-based ticket model (you can’t buy a ticket — you have to win one).
  
  
• An experience that makes the whole game feel like the halftime show.
  
  
• A clear-as-day brand promise: “Fans First. Always.”
  
  
• Total alignment between product, personality, and positioning.
  
  

They know who they are. They know who they’re for. And they are not here to water it down for the masses.

‍

‍

One of the biggest branding fouls is being forgettable.

So if your brand feels like it’s stuck in the dugout, maybe it’s time to take a swing at something new.