A Christmas ad for an overpriced exercise bike has proven such a disaster it’s turned into social media gold for the brand.
The spot’s for US company Peloton, whose basic model bike starts at a cool $2,245 ($A3,300).
So why all the furore? Well, for starters it’s a husband giving his (already extremely attractive and slim) wife an exercise bike as a Christmas gift.
For her part, the woman appears utterly terrified at the thought of mounting the device in the first place.
We then begin a 12-month journey as the woman’s Peleton “changes her” and we watch her extraordinary journey as she drops about half-a-kilo from her already lithe and athletic physique.
Check out the nonsense below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pShKu2icEYw
The strange spot has since gone viral (for all the wrong reasons) and Peloton was one of the top trending Twitter topics in the US on Monday.
Not that the reactions (parodies aside) were positive. Many complained the ad was so awful it should be pulled, while Peloton’s share price reportedly plummeted 10 per cent on the negative reaction to the ad.
Some are even claiming the ad has a hidden, dystopian message about humans and technology.
Here you have this seemingly gorgeous woman with the perfect life who’s terrified of a bit of tech in her living room. Others have called the spot some sort of horror film, implying the woman is actually captive to the man.
“The only way to enjoy that Peloton ad is to think of it as the first minute of an episode of Black Mirror,” one wag tweeted.
While another added: “A harrowing journey as a 116 lb (52 kilos) woman’s YEARLONG fitness journey to becoming a 112 lb (50 kilo) woman.”
“We all need to treasure the things that bring us together as a nation, as a people. Collectively hating on this Peloton ad is that thing,” penned another.
While others have simply taken to Twitter to spoof the spot. Check out one below:
when my husband gets me a Peleton for Christmas …….. pic.twitter.com/Z2d3ewMhPu
— Eva Victor (@evaandheriud) December 2, 2019
