What looked like a tragedy for NFL legend Drew Brees was only a quarterback sneak.
Brees early Friday appeared in a tweet showing him cutting a promo for the sportsbook PointsBet that was interrupted by a lightning strike. PointsBet followed up several hours later with an “update” that played into the ruse before Brees finally came clean revealing the stunt was a promotion for the app’s “lightning bets,” or in-game wagers.
“If the objective was to bring attention and awareness to their lightning bets promotion, mission accomplished,” said Dale Song, a chief partnerships officer, consulting, at Omnicom’s Optimum Sports division.
But the online reaction was less merciful, with several users comparing the stunt to schemes from the TV comedy “Nathan for You.”
Other users found the stunt insensitive to victims of actual lightning strikes.
As competitors in the sports wagering field jockey for users, PointsBet has demonstrated edgy advertising in the past including a recent spot called “Sanctuary” showing a man placing bets on his phone while seated at a toilet.
