Peloton Throws Lavish Holiday Party After Stock Tumbles Following Ad Backlash
Peloton may have spun up some controversy when their new commercial didn't get the reaction they had hoped for, but that didn't stop the good times from rolling through the company's giant holiday party! The Peloton bash went down Wednesday night at the Manhattan venue, Cipriani 42nd Street in NYC. The Peloton instructors, who have become stars in their own right, glammed up for the annual party, which had a theme of The Roarin 20s.
Popular instructors, Ally Love, Emma Lovewell and newcomer Tunde Oyeneyin were seen smiling during the fancy bash that included live music and lots of dancing.
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The ballroom at Cipriani 42nd Street was decorated to look like a glamorous party from the 1920s and even included cool looking vintage bikes. Senior instructor Jess King was seen posing with Peloton fan-favorite, DJ John Michael, who captioned the pic with a special message about the night.
"Red lights with my redhead in a red dress last night at the @onepeloton Holiday Party. Most of us took hardly any photos. I guess that’s the sign of a good night? Feeling grateful AF today. "
DJ John Michael also marveled at the 4,000+ people in attendance at the party, which he said feels much different than the 150 people at the 1st ever Peloton holiday bash.
The night also included a speech by some of the Peloton execs, including CEO John Foley. Foley was able to keep a smile, even though Santa just delivered his company their biggest single-day drop in stock when they fell more than 9% following the backlash from their holiday ad. It set the company back more than $942 million ... but still left their evaluation at over $9 billion.
However, those in the Peloton family are standing behind the commercial and claiming that it was misinterpreted. One holiday party attendee referred to her drama on social media with a post that read:
"Had a great time at the @onepeloton holiday party. Great products and great commercials."
The Commercial
The backlash against Peloton started after their holiday ad caused a ton of controversy. In the 30-second clip, which first debuted in November, a husband surprises his wife on Christmas morning with a Peloton exercise bike. "Grace from Boston" then documents her experience with Peloton over a year, and the following Christmas shows her husband how hard she's been working.
"A year ago, I didn't realize how much this would change me," the wife said to her husband about her Peloton bike. "Thank you.'"
The commercial was quickly ripped apart by the Internet with comments like, "Nothing says “maybe you should lose a few pounds” like gifting your already rail thin life partner a Peloton."
Another person wrote, "Nothing has made me less likely to get a Peloton than this commercial that shows this woman video journaling her first year owning a Peloton and...putting the clips together as a gift for her husband? That's the gift? A montage of her using the Peloton? I don't like it."
However, Pelton is standing by the ad and released a statement expressing their disappointment in the reaction.
“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,” a Peloton spokesperson said in a statement.
They statement added, "Our holiday spot was created to celebrate that fitness and wellness journey. 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."
