Ad of the Day: Peloton enlists Ryan Reynolds and Mr Big to troll And Just Like That...
*AND JUST LIKE THAT... SPOILERS AHEAD*
Last week, Peloton faced major Wall Street losses following the premiere of HBO’s Sex and the City sequel series And Just Like That... as beloved character Mr Big dies after working out on one of its bikes.
Yesterday the exercise equipment company swiftly turned the narrative around to drum up some positive publicity by enlisting actor Chris Noth (aka Mr Big) and Ryan Reynolds in a tongue-in-cheek rebuttal.
The short video begins in a cozy festive-looking room with Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata serenading the scene. Viewers see Noth toast to “new beginnings” with real-life Peloton instructor Jess King, who featured in the first episode of the series. After boldly asking if she would be up for going for another ride, the camera pans out to reveal two stationary bikes and the duo share a cheeky laugh together.
As the video fades, adland favorite Ryan Reynolds’s voice sarcastically notes: “And just like that the world was reminded that regular cycling stimulates and improves your heart, lungs and circulation, reducing your risk of cardiovascular diseases. Cycling strengthens your heart muscles, lowers resting pulse and reduces blood fat levels.”
The actor concludes, “he’s alive!” as the Peloton logo pops up on the screen.
According to Dara Treseder, Peloton’s head of global marketing and communications, the brand “did not have a formal product placement agreement with either the show or HBO.”
. @igrullonpaz @nytimes Peloton did not have a formal product placement agreement with either the show or HBO. This was a casting opportunity for one of our instructors, not a brand integration, paid or otherwise. The show procured our equipment on their own, not through us.
— Dara Treseder (@daratreseder) December 13, 2021
This is not the first time that one of Peloton’s ads has made headlines. Back in 2019, ‘The Gift That Gives Back’ was majorly mocked across social and widespread media, which again resulted in a plummeting stock price.
At the time, Ryan Reynolds used the central character in that Peloton ad to have a little fun at her expense in a humorous way for his beverage brand Aviation Gin.
Fast forward to this year, the brand also suffered losses due to a product recall and consumers began to lose faith in fitness’s golden child. In July, The Drum spoke to Dara Treseder who, at the time, faced the huge task of widening Peloton’s appeal while navigating it out of choppy waters.
