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Peloton is leaning into the holidays with a vaguely threatening ad.
The company, which makes pricey, connected exercise bikes is notorious for its bizarre advertising; earlier this year, its campaign blew up after a viral Twitter thread highlighted some questionable interior design choices. The luxury stationary bikes — which clock in at $2,245 for the most basic machine and $39 a month to stream virtual workout classes — are often mocked for being the height of an affluent, but unnecessary, lifestyle.
In its latest ad, which is getting ripped apart online, a man gifts a woman a Peloton bike.
"A Peloton?" she gasps, uncovering her eyes.
Then, she begins vlogging. She records herself biking in her luxurious living room, and the floor to ceiling windows show the seasons changing from a snow-covered winter wonderland to a lush summer garden.
"A year ago, I didn't realize how much this would change me," she tells the camera, which has infuriatingly switched between portrait and landscape aspect ratios. "Thank you."
We have... questions.
Why was she so nervous to ride a stationary bike? Why did she make a supercut of her vlogs a year later? Has anything changed about her, except her compulsion to wake up at dawn to cycle? Does she know any life outside Peloton now?
Some Twitter users joked that the ad's main character seemed scared to notbike after Twitter user @SamuelMoen's tweet calling out the ad went viral.
Tweet may have been deletedSEE ALSO:SoulCycle instructors hilariously try to motivate their class on 'SNL'
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If you're going to vlog your cycling prison, at least hold your phone the same way each time!
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Filmmaker Olga Nunes edited the ad with ominous music, turning it into a Black Mirrortrailer.
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Again, this ad has huge horror movie energy.
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Maybe the real holiday cheer was the cult we joined along the way!
UPDATE: Dec. 4, 2019, 10:20 a.m. PST Peloton said it was "disappointed" about the response to the ad. A Peloton representative told the New York Times, "We constantly hear from our members how their lives have been meaningfully and positively impacted after purchasing or being gifted a Peloton Bike or Tread, often in ways that surprise them."
"Our holiday spot was created to celebrate that fitness and wellness journey," the representative continued. "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."
Peloton stock dropped by about 9 percent on Tuesday the New York Times reports, a day after the online mockery of the ad peaked. The stock market as a whole was down by 1 percent, and has continued to fall after Trump implied plans to delay a trade deal with China until after the 2020 presidential election.
Peloton says backlash to the holiday spot and stock price drops are unrelated.
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