For a company that was so popular during the height of the pandemic that customers were willing to wait a month or more for delivery of one of its $1,500 bikes or treadmills, the past year has seen a series of challenges — and poorly received responses — that have cut Peloton’s value by over 70%.
That downtrend looked set to continue this month after a brutal product placement in “And Just Like That,” the just-released sequel to the Sex and the City series, which involved one of Peloton’s bikes and the death of star character “Mr. Big,” played by actor Chris Noth.
For a company facing product recalls and a class-action liability lawsuit following the real-life death of a child and the injury of 70 other users, the renewed reminder — fictional or not — of a chapter Peloton has struggled mightily to put behind it was potentially disastrous.
But unlike its previous media and messaging responses, Peloton’s crisis management team — with the help of actor-cum-ad-exec Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort marketing venture — sprang into action, and rapidly turned Peloton’s moment of lemons into a laudable and laughable serving of proverbial lemonade.
In short, and just like that, (truly, in less than 48 hours), the New York-based connected fitness company was able to crank out a rebranding rebuttal that will go down in history and serve as core reading material in marketing classes for years to come.
“He’s Alive”
“If we can put that spot together in 48 hours, you can do your workout today,” Peloton triumphantly tweeted after its now legendary “He’s Alive” ad had gone viral.
And just like that…he’s alive. pic.twitter.com/bVX8uWypFZ
— Peloton (@onepeloton) December 12, 2021
Rather than being dead, Noth is seen relaxing by a fire with the same real-life Peloton instructor from the show who had led what would be Mr. Big’s final workout.
“Oh, I feel great. Shall we take another ride?” Noth says. “Life’s too short not to.”
That alone was a masterstroke, but the true genius may have come in the fact that Peloton goes on to say that using its exercise equipment is actually a contributing factor in extending one’s life, via a message conveyed by Reynolds, who served as both creative director and narrator for the spot.
“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,” before concluding, “he’s alive.”
And so, too, is Peloton’s brand protection department, which has survived the fight another day, only with a little more pep in its step than it’s felt in a while.
We’re always on the lookout for opportunities to partner with innovators and disruptors.
Learn More