- Peloton just released a commercial for the holiday season that people are trying to make sense of.
- The ad follows what appears to be a woman's yearlong selfie journey after her partner gave her a Peloton for the holidays.
- People are criticizing the ad for many reasons, including some who said the man seemed to be suggesting that the woman should work out more.
- People also found the ad's awkward Instagram Story setup uncomfortable.
- Peloton did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Peloton, the tech-enabled fitness-equipment startup, released a new ad for the holiday season that sparked some controversy on Twitter.
The ad, which was released on YouTube on November 21 and is being shown on TV, follows what appears to be a woman's yearlong selfie journey after her partner gave her a Peloton for the holidays.
The commercial has garnered a vocal response on Twitter, with many negative comments.
this ad is making me lose my goddamn mind pic.twitter.com/GXgypRkFOg
— Sam (@SamuelMoen) December 1, 2019
I really thought Christmas music before Christmas was the worst, then I saw a Peloton ad. pic.twitter.com/GwqwbVe7wH
— Sapiosexual -Bat- Jenkins (@ShallowPear) November 30, 2019
People are criticizing the ad for many reasons, from its awkward structure to the male character who seems to be suggesting the woman should work out more.
Here's a breakdown of the ad that has people losing their minds.
The ad begins with a woman receiving a Peloton bike as a gift from her partner.
People already had issues with the ad at this point, as an exercise bike could be seen as a risky gift from a partner.
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1201343268492939264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Dude, I hate that Peloton commercial so much. Why is that already fit/rich woman the center of this ad? And why does she look scared the whole commercial
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1199114842004582402?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Look I don't want to be "The Peloton Ad Guy" anymore but the newest commercial about the vlogging 116 lb woman's YEARLONG fitness journey to becoming a 112 lb woman who says "I didn't realize how much this would change me" is just ri-god-damn-diculous. Come on.
The ad gets stranger when the woman starts taking selfie videos on the bike.
This ad format seems to be trying to be blending an Instagram Story with a traditional commercial. The result is a somewhat awkward cross between them.
The ad shows the woman documenting working out on the machine on different days throughout the year.
Tal Bachman's 1999 hit "She's So High" is playing through the nearly 30-second ad — an interesting juxtaposition with the company known for its modern, internet-connected exercise bikes and treadmills.
Still, some people seemed excited about this interesting music choice.
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1201527634712309762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
So thankful for the new Peleton ad and the inevitable accompanying Tal Bachman renaissance we'd all secretly been longing for but were never brave enough to admit
The end of the ad shows the couple on the couch watching what appears to be a montage of the woman's year on her Peloton.
"A year ago, I didn't realize how much this would change me," the woman says, evidently to her partner. "Thank you."
The finale left people confused. Some questioned the entire premise of the story.
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1198787386987167746?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Wait is the premise of that Peloton ad really that a woman took videos over a whole year when she used the Peleton that her husband gave her and then showed it to him the following Christmas
Others were confused about the "change" the woman was referring to.
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1200832057217302528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The holiday Peloton ad where the skinny athletic model undergoes a transformation over the course of a year to become a skinny athletic model who now rides a stationary bike really pulls at the heartstrings.
Peloton did not immediately respond to a request for comment.