Thunder has once again followed a lightning strike.
Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has infuriated lightning strike victims with his latest commercial for a PointsBet USA promotion. The commercial shows Brees getting struck by fake lightning on a set in Venezuela as a way of promoting “lightning bets” and it sent the internet into a frenzy given that it looked real.
Lightning Strike and Electric Shock Survivors International, an organization dedicated to helping those impacted by similar injuries, was not pleased with the advertisement, though, and voiced its displeasure.
“The recent Drew Brees lightning commercial is an inappropriate, disgusting method of promoting gambling or any TV commercial campaign,” LSESSI said in a statement to TMZ. “This is a deadly injury, and it is disappointing to see the continual ridicule of lightning and electrical injury survivors in comical light in which it is presented for commercial gain and profit.”
The organization did not find the promotion funny and wondered “what example does it set for our children to learn?” Additionally, the LSESSI believes the Brees commercial “just set us back 20 years.”
“As a survivor, this is very disturbing, the thoughtlessness on the part of the participants who are trying to profit from tragedy is remarkable,” the organization said. “Much progress through hard work and education has been made over the last 20 years to lower the lightning/electrical deaths and risk of injury through education and informed knowledge of the dangers.”
Brees has yet to address the controversial promotion. After the initial video, PointsBets and Brees let everyone know it wasn’t real and he was OK with a second video with the Super Bowl winner in an ambulance.
“Just wanted to jump on and let you know I’m alive and well, here in Cataumbo, Venezuela, which by the way, is the most active hotspot for lightning the world,” Brees said in the video. “And I’m buzzing — literally, so excited because PointsBet is giving away free lightning bets to customers, all week.”
LSESSI didn’t find this amusing it at all.
“There are many groups working to educate the public and help survivors, this commercial nullifies all their work and encourages unsafe practices to the general public,” the organization said. “And all for gambling … Lightning Bets? How ignorant can you possibly be?”