tennisemojiThe emoji craze has arrived — in ball form.

Baden, a 36-year-old sports equipment manufacturer based in Renton, Wash., today unveiled special new rubber balls that feature emoji artwork on the outside. They are called, appropriately, “emojiballs.”

Six emoji balls with six different emotions are available for pre-order on Friday, which happens to be World Emoji Day. You can see the initial set to the right — prices start at $6.99 for a single ball, or $14.99 for a three-pack. More emojis will come later, and the balls will also be sold at select retailers this fall.

Hugh Tompkins, Baden’s Director of Research & Development, came up with the idea for emojiballs after attending a sporting goods show. Tompkins said the balls appeal to a wide range of ages, from kids to techies to office workers.

“Future customization options that we’re still exploring could also make them great promotional items for companies,” he added.

Emojis are quickly becoming a popular way to communicate online. Slack made headlines earlier this month when it released a feature that lets users react to messages with one of 722 emojis. NBA players also participated in an impromptu emoji battle on Twitter during the free agency frenzy.

The term “emoji” was added to the Merriam Webster dictionary earlier this year.

Like what you're reading? Subscribe to GeekWire's free newsletters to catch every headline

Job Listings on GeekWork

Find more jobs on GeekWork. Employers, post a job here.