Peleton workout bikes, the cheapest of which costs $2,245, have earned a reputation for some unusual advertising campaigns.
This holiday season, however, the company has outdone themselves with an unsettling commercial about a woman whose significant other surprises her with a workout bike for Christmas.
Everyone on Twitter seemed to agree there was something chilling about how excited this woman was for her workout bike.
It seemed almost like we were watching a tiny episode of Black Mirror.
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 (@Jess Dweck) 1575324297.0
Fun Fact: peloton is Latin for “the bad place”— Charlotte Clymer 🏳️🌈 (@Charlotte Clymer 🏳️🌈) 1575322001.0
The terror in her eyes is chilling. There's something seriously wrong in this relationship. https://t.co/33VYzjwgor— Chris Weston- #SelfEmployed creator of comic art (@Chris Weston- #SelfEmployed creator of comic art) 1575296927.0
Putting aside the strange tone, there were definitely some issues with the writing.
@SamuelMoen I'm so nervous to ride a stationary bike in my living room omg what am I gonna do— Wail Faridi (@Wail Faridi) 1575229515.0
No loving partner would surprise his sig-o with a workout bike she hadn't asked for.
Nothing says “maybe you should lose a few pounds” like gifting your already rail thin life partner a Peloton https://t.co/E2M9gFdD5A— Siraj Hashmi (@Siraj Hashmi) 1575317237.0
I'd say the only good time to give your wife a Peloton as a gift is if she specifically asks for one.— Noam Blum 🦉 (@Noam Blum 🦉) 1575318253.0
What exactly was he trying to say?
My fave commercial right now is that one where a guy buys his already perfectly fit wife a Peloton for Christmas an… https://t.co/f3Wmonq0sK— Adam Tod Brown (@Adam Tod Brown) 1575135561.0
Parodies have begun circulating which seem to sum up people's feelings about the ad.
when my husband gets me a Peleton for Christmas ........ https://t.co/Z2d3ewMhPu— Eva Victor (@Eva Victor) 1575321160.0
Meanwhile, others were noticing another strange detail from Peloton's ads.
Love putting my Peloton bike in the most striking area of my ultra-modern $3 million house— Clue Heywood (@Clue Heywood) 1548639643.0
I had my carpenter build a $9,000 finished wood riser for my Peloton bike in my glass-enclosed zen garden/home gym https://t.co/VJSOjctYtO— Clue Heywood (@Clue Heywood) 1548640180.0
I put my Peloton bike in the center of the panoramic living room window in my New York penthouse https://t.co/ol0B3Kavif— Clue Heywood (@Clue Heywood) 1548640451.0
All in all, the commercial seemed to do more harm than good.
People who are not Peloton target customers sure hate that Peloton ad.— Josh Barro (@Josh Barro) 1575319201.0
If you bought your partner a Peloton workout bike for Christmas, there might still be time to make a return.
Stationary bikes don't have to break the bank or take up half a room. For under $100 you can get this 4.5 star rated bike that folds for storage, available here.