The sports betting category is extremely crowded. With brands like DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesar’s and BetMGM dominating the ad spend race, it takes a lot to make a name for yourself.

Sports betting platform PointsBet Sportsbook took the route of shock and disaster with a clip that saw former NFL star quarterback Drew Brees struck by lightning in what ended up as a promotional marketing stunt.

In a clip posted at 1 a.m. ET from the Twitter account of filmmaker Rafael Hernández, Brees is on set in Catatumbo, Venezuela, preparing to film a promotional ad for PointsBet when lightning strikes him and the video abruptly stops. (Catatumbo is a remote lake where lightning strikes 1.6 million times per year.)

After several hours, PointsBet updated its Twitter account. “We are aware of the media coverage regarding PointsBet brand ambassador Drew Brees,” the brand said. “We are in communication with Brees’ team and will continue to monitor events throughout the coming hours. At this stage we will not be making any further comment.”

By late morning, PointsBet had Brees tell viewers in a clip he is fine while promoting the company’s lightning bets promotional deal. Lightning bets are live in-game bets that allow users to wager on immediate outcomes, such as whether an in-progress offensive drive in a football game will end in a touchdown.

Electric social media response

Obviously the stunt was a promotional marketing tool and seemed to be planned out. Brees tweeted on Tuesday that he was traveling to Catatumbo. Plus, the decision to have a filmmaker based in Venezuela tweet the initial lightning clip shows this was strategized to look somewhat real.

It drew the ire of several users online due to concern that Brees had passed away and the choice to have him struck from lightning was met with a slow response from the brand. PointsBet waited approximately10 hours before airing its second clip on its social platform showing Brees was alive and well—before shocking him again by lightning in a more clear spoof.

PointsBet Sportsbook declined to comment when contacted by Adweek.

ESPN Saints reporter Katherine Terrell texted with Brees, who assured her that he was all right and not struck by lightning. It also raised questions about if marketing stunts can go too far to elicit a responsed.

Hernández explained his part in the ad in a later tweet. “It was all advertising,” he said in Spanish. “It is not the first nor the last of its kind. And I took advantage of it to dignify and publicize the beauties of our country: The lightning of Catatumbo. Enjoy the show and life goes on.”

The ad is drawing more attention for PointsBet than anything else the brand has done online previously. In a crowded sports betting category, the lesser known betting platform is trying to find ways to draw in new consumers.

“If the goal was to raise the awareness of PointsBet that people are talking about them even more, then mission accomplished,” Joe Favorito, sports marketing expert and Columbia University professor, told Adweek.

“They found a way not spending a tremendous amount of money compared to their competitors to get interest. The first and most important thing for a mobile gambling company right now is to get people engaged and in the door. Then if you get their email address then you’re able to market to them. That’s the end all, be all.”

Is all publicity good?

Drew Brees first joined PointsBet as a brand ambassador during summer 2021. The former MVP is an NBC Sports football analyst and has shot several ads for PointsBet over the past year. PointsBet is the official sports betting partner of NBC Sports, and gave Brees an equity stake in the company as well. NBC has a 4.9% equity stake in PointsBet from the partnership agreement.

According to Lisa Delpy Neirotti, associate professor of sports management at George Washington University, the brand won’t really make any long-term gains if it doesn’t keep the story going and stop after this one stunt.

“At this point, if PointsBet doesn’t connect lightning bets to its brand shortly, then it may have been a failed venture initiative,” she said. “But if they do connect it, then they succeeded in grabbing everybody’s attention and getting the conversation going.”

The story does bring up an interesting question: Is all publicity, good publicity? The story has drawn attention on social media and publications (like Adweek) are covering the news. But does that help or hurt the brand long-term?

In the eyes of Favorito, the publicity is worth it. “If the goal was to generate buzz, they score big points,” he said. “There’s no way you can argue with that.”