Peloton's Holiday Ad Loses Its Audience

In the week before Thanksgiving, Peloton released an ad that stirred up some heat the internet. The spot features a woman being gifted a Peloton exercise bike for Christmas by her husband. Without knowing whether or not she requested this gift, the audience is left to wonder if the husband is hinting that his beautiful, slender wife could improve her appearance if she worked out more.

The ad proceeds with the woman recording selfie-style videos documenting her fear and nerves about putting her husband's gift to use. It ends with her stating that she didn't know how much her Peloton bike would change her as she searches her husband's face for a reaction.

The internet had a heyday with this ad. Many said that the woman looked like a hostage. It inspired a spoof that went viral. The Washington Post referred to the ad as a "dystopian inspo hellscape." VICE declared that she was absolutely not OK. USA Today begged for someone to please help her.

After the backlash, Peloton issued a statement saying, “Our holiday spot was created to celebrate that fitness and wellness journey. While we’re disappointed in how some have misinterpreted this commercial, we are encouraged by — and grateful for — the outpouring of support we’ve received from those who understand what we were trying to communicate.”

This response does not clarify Peloton's intentions with the ad. It does not apologize for being tone-deaf. The response sent by Peloton seems to be directed to people who are already Peloton customers, not to those who may have considered purchasing Peloton products but were turned off by this ad and Peloton's subsequent response. If Peloton hopes to expand their customer base, they need to listen to their critics, not just their fans.