Paddy Power Stunt Aims To Highlight EPL's Lack Of Gay Players

Paddy Power fired thousands of rainbow-colored pants into the crowds at Brighton Pride this weekend to "challenge a lack of openness on homosexuality in the Premier League," according to Magda Ibrahim of PR WEEK. A "bespoke 2018 Pride edition of the Paddy Power pants" was created and around 5,000 pairs of the rainbow-adorned underwear were "fired into the crowds by a fleet of winged male models" dubbed "Paddy’s Angels." Paddy Power’s stunt -- planned with agency Officer & Gentleman -- intended to "highlight the statistical anomaly" that none of the 500 players registered in football’s Premier League is "openly gay." There are more than 1 million people in the U.K. who identify as being LGBTQ. The Irish betting firm "is blaming the environment within football for not supporting players who might want to come out" (PR WEEK, 8/3).