Sometimes marketing campaigns go too far in trying to create viral content, and former Saints QB Drew Brees got a first-hand lesson on Friday. The former Falcons rival shot a promotional video for PointsBet Sportsbook in which he appears to get struck by lightning.
This set off a panic among Saints fans who became concerned that Brees had suffered a potentially life-threatening injury. Local reporters, and Brees himself, would later confirm that it was all just an awful publicity stunt for a gambling site.
Falcons Twitter had a field day roasting Brees, who ended up going viral for all the wrong reasons.
The lightning must’ve thought I was wearing a Falcons jersey, that’s why it tried to get me 😂 I’m fine…Who Dat! https://t.co/lT1L4J0fq4
— Drew Brees (@drewbrees) December 2, 2022
https://t.co/EvK3YYrG2l pic.twitter.com/Tro75h87TB
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) December 2, 2022
Cringe https://t.co/E2qxHuO5ki
— Atlanta Never Broke Again (@Ratiothen22) December 2, 2022
I don’t see falcons players doing lame publicity stunts. https://t.co/RgXzFrBO8v pic.twitter.com/vz7rVCqR4I
— Koolestkeith (@koolestkeith) December 2, 2022
I thought it was God paying you back for bounty gate https://t.co/XXprsNtHLo
— DJ CR: one piece, JJK, SD, hunter hunter (@Prod1gy199) December 2, 2022
Rent free https://t.co/FoULItxu3P pic.twitter.com/KxR8vRbvo0
— Mr. Kountry Bumpkin 👑 (@HOTTERTHANJUL1O) December 2, 2022
nah this is mad corny https://t.co/zd2TSzxoT6
— Josiah (temporarily) (@bed_jartlet99) December 2, 2022
Bro lied about getting struck by lightning for a corny falcons joke https://t.co/U97ex6xfje
— Marcus🎄🎁☃️ (@HarrisRocket) December 2, 2022
Once a scammer, always a scammer ig https://t.co/HXF5YV3zJW
— Joe Irusota (@bigjoe93) December 2, 2022
Naw. That was just karma reminding you of the catholic church cover up. https://t.co/nIRv50zs2V
— Eric Robinson (@_Eric_Robinson) December 2, 2022
Falcons Twitter with a W tweet today 🤣 https://t.co/fVn1xGtF2H
— Tomas Alexander (@talexander951) December 2, 2022
you thought this was it? https://t.co/4yIlXzGsFA
— D’Matt 🧊 (@BackEndDeluxe) December 2, 2022
Honestly this stunt was a perfect example of the devolution of “viral” social media campaigns https://t.co/z0fpaaDXNa
— Aaron Meullion (@aa7ron) December 2, 2022
Congrats Drew Brees, well deserved! https://t.co/uWLgNgfEAo pic.twitter.com/8RzAR5THLY
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) December 2, 2022
Lame as hell https://t.co/bxLjgC3IKj
— World Champ BG (@BGreene_) December 2, 2022
Yeah I’m about to finish the job https://t.co/SNLVjNitRn
— Josh (@Cooliooojones) December 2, 2022
Can somebody tell this idiot that one Venezuelan baseball pitcher died there because of that back in 2008? So it is a very disrespectful and stupid joke?! https://t.co/g1weoD4Ah2
— Hernán Ayala (@FutbolIntenso) December 2, 2022
RENT FREE https://t.co/LqTexImhbp pic.twitter.com/ydnDJcBc2Y
— Carrie (@CareCalamia) December 2, 2022
Sadly it was fake 🤡 https://t.co/lC6OeHdKCk
— Keep it G with me, that’s all I ask of you. (@CantGuardDrake) December 2, 2022
Estrella de la @NFL @drewbrees fue impactado por un relámpago en el Catatumbo mientras grabábamos un comercial al sur del lago de Maracaibo. Pasó hace unas horas. Más información en breve… pic.twitter.com/b8PQdRpdtN
— Rafael Hernández (@sincepto) December 2, 2022