Get to the net
As padel gains powerful momentum across the UK, The Bigger Boat spotted an opportunity to do more than merely join the conversation. By combining a growing cultural trend with a longstanding frustration around the stiff, transactional nature of traditional networking, we created Get to the net – a brand designed to bring people together through shared experiences on the court and natural conversations that unfold thereafter.
The challenge
Traditional networking has long endured a perception problem. Too often, events feel unnecessarily formal and uncomfortable – built around rigid formats and transactional discussions. For many, the experience is something to endure rather than enjoy, limiting the potential for meaningful connections that last beyond the initial meet.
At the same time, padel was rapidly emerging as one of the UK’s fastest-growing sports, celebrated for its accessibility and inherently social nature. So much so, The Bigger Boat crew was already partial to a regular peloteo, regularly touching down at our nearby facility and even sponsoring a court of our own. It was a timely combination that sparked the question: how can we translate the energy and spontaneity of the sport into a credible business proposition?
Ultimately, we needed to create a brand that could sit confidently between two worlds – one grounded in professional credibility, the other driven by play and personality. While it had to feel different enough to disrupt expectations, it equally had to be considered enough to be taken seriously by an engaged business audience.
More than a fleeting activation, we curated Get to the net as a standalone, event-led brand – developed and delivered by The Bigger Boat – giving it immediate credibility among our existing clients and partners, while creating space for it to grow into something bigger.
From the outset, it drew the two worlds of socials and sports together perfectly. Even the name plays a dual role. In padel, ‘getting to the net’ is a tactical move – one that brings a team to the forefront of the court in a more confident playing position, increasing the chance of success. Similarly, in a business context, it represents the idea of connection, proximity, and collaboration to achieve better outcomes.
This duality carries through the entire identity. We opted for a typeface that’s geometric and friendly – reflecting the inherently social nature of Get to the net. Its characters have subtle variations – like two letter ‘o’s that can look slightly different – reinforcing the brand’s playful personality and dynamic energy.
Our solution
Visually, the brand also balances movement and structure, beginning with the rally-inspired logomark – capturing the essence of ball tracking while referencing the exchange of ideas – and continuing through graphic motifs that adopt a back-and-forth rhythm for depth and energy. These elements can be layered, offset, and repositioned across different applications, ensuring every poster and piece of collateral feels distinctive and alive. Meanwhile, the colour palette combines vibrant tones with a grounded dark blue, striking a balance between excitement and professional credibility.
Our tone of voice follows the same principle. Throughout foundational messaging, Get to the net adopts a conversational and lightly playful tone, using a distinctive tongue-in-cheek style to set it apart from the typical stiff nature of corporate networking. Alliterative threefold phrases – such as ‘breakfast, bandejas, and brilliant people’ are leveraged to catch attention and create recall while clearly communicating the proposition, building upon a consistent voice that feels approachable and human.
To build awareness and credibility beyond our immediate network, we supported the initial launch with a targeted PR push. This included developing a press release to introduce Get to the net’s nuanced approach to business socials, landing coverage in Huddersfield Hub – a go-to resource for local business news – and Padel Nation, reaching an already-engaged community of padel players and enthusiasts.
The event concept itself was also tested through internal sessions, allowing us to refine the format and experience before welcoming ticketed entry. Now, Get to the net is an established series, with a regular calendar combining on- and off-course events throughout the year, supported by attendees and sponsors alike. What’s more, several exciting collaborations are already in early conversation too. Long term, our ambition is to redefine business socials and build a platform that consistently brings people – and opportunities – closer together.
Doug Main
Creative director, The Bigger Boat
