As those of us who have watched HBO Max’s And Just Like That, the sequel to the iconic series Sex and the City, can affirm, there are some scenes involving Peloton that could cause the wrong impression. Peloton apparently thought so too, and basically decided to rewrite that part of the story.
On Sunday, Peloton debuted a new video titled “He’s Alive” featuring Chris Noth, also known to Sex and the City fans as Mr. Big, the character who died from a heart attack after completing his 1,000th ride on a Peloton (with real-life a Peloton instructor) in the first episode of And Just Like That. The episode took fans, and Peloton, by complete surprise. I mean, it’s undisputable that exercise on a Peloton bike, and exercise in general, is good for your health.
Vulture called it “the worst Peloton ad ever,” and shares of the company dropped 11% after the first two episodes premiered this past Thursday.
The company gave Buzzfeed a statement from a cardiologist on its health and wellness council in response to the episode, who blamed Big’s death on his “extravagant lifestyle,” which included cocktails, cigars, and big steaks. But it apparently felt it wasn’t enough. Peloton needed a do-over, and boy did it create one.
In its new video “He’s Alive,” we see Chris Noth and Peloton instructor Jess King sitting on a couch in front of a fire with dramatic music playing in the background. In an alternate universe, it would seem like Big had escaped with “that whore Allegra,” Carrie Bradshaw’s affectionate name for the Peloton instructor played by King in And Just Like That.
“You look great,” King tells Noth in the video.
“I feel great,” Noth replies, before proceeding to ask her if she wants to take another ride on the Peloton bikes conveniently located behind the couch.
“Life’s too short not to,” Noth adds.
The video was produced by Ryan Reynolds’ marketing company, Maximum Effort, and was produced in 48 hours, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
“And just like that, the world was reminded that regular cycling stimulates and improves your heart, lungs, and circulation, reducing your risk of cardiovascular diseases,” Peloton said in a voice over provided by Reynolds in the video. “Cycling strengthens your heart muscles, lowers resting pulse, and reduces blood fat levels. He’s alive.”
Gizmodo reached out to Peloton and HBO Max for comment on the video on Sunday but did not receive a response by the time of publication. We’ll make sure to update this blog if we do.
It remains to be seen whether the video will help Peloton rebound after what’s happened in the last couple of days. One thing’s for sure: It was a great response.