Peloton’s share price rose yesterday after the company aired a parody ad in response to its negative portrayal in HBO’s new “Sex and the City” reboot series “And Just Like That,” according to Reuters. The show intimated that Peloton bikes can be deadly, according to The Wall Street Journal.
In the episode, the “Sex and the City” character Mr. Big, played by actor Chris Noth, dies of a heart attack following a Peloton bike workout. But he returns in the parody, appearing on a couch beside Jess King – the same real life Peloton instructor featured in the show.
“I feel great,” Noth says in the commercial. “Shall we take another ride? Life’s too short not to.”
A voiceover by actor Ryan Reynolds closes out the ad:
“And just like that, the world was reminded that regular cycling stimulates and improves your heart, lungs, and circulation… Cycling strengthens your heart muscles, lowers resting pulse, and reduces blood fat levels. He’s alive.”
Reynolds’s marketing company Maximum Effort worked with Peloton to script and shoot the commercial in less than two days.
Facing more competition in the home exercise space and decreased demand as many return to pre-pandemic gym routines, Peloton stock had dipped in recent months. The company also voluntarily recalled its treadmills last May following reports of one death and dozens of injuries.
Peloton’s share price has rebounded considerably since the parody aired on Sunday.
