Peloton bikes might make an excellent Christmas gift, but after this commercial went viral, people were having second thoughts about their big holiday purchase. The ad, released for the gift shopping season on November 21st, shows a woman with a newly gifted exercise bike. She chronicles her workout journey via selfie camera videos sent to her partner, who had bought her the bike.
The clip is only 30 seconds long, but in those 30 seconds, the woman wakes up at 6 AM for her bike workout. She works out five days in a row. The commercial ends with her and her partner on the couch at the end of the year, watching the selfie diary on the television. The only problem was that the video diary entries seemed a little scary, creepy, and unsettling. Many compared it to a Black Mirror episode, a Netflix series that fictionalizes the dangers of the digital age.
The only way to enjoy that Peloton ad is to think of it as the first minute of an episode of Black Mirror
— Jess Dweck (@TheDweck) December 2, 2019
My fave commercial right now is that one where a guy buys his already perfectly fit wife a Peloton for Christmas and she gets revenge by making him watch a compilation video of her using it for a year
— Adam Tod Brown (@adamtodbrown) November 30, 2019
when my husband gets me a Peleton for Christmas ........ pic.twitter.com/Z2d3ewMhPu
— Eva Victor (@evaandheriud) December 2, 2019
Peloton has defended its holiday advertisement, despite dropping 10% in stocks after the video's virality. The company released a statement saying that it's "disappointed in how some people have misinterpreted" the ad. Some people enjoyed the commercial though, and the company thanked those who showed support. You can buy the bike for $2,245 on the company's site.