We've all seen the ad. And we've seen what a great guerrilla take down looks like (thank you Deadpool). But, do we understand what the real mistake was?
In the spirit of full transparency, I'm a SoulCycle devotee...and I'm a Peloton rider. I get the whole vibe of being a Peloton customer. I get why people get hooked on riding a bike to loud music and a strong beat. I get what makes the company great and what I'd love to see them do differently.
I share this to say that I am NOT out to bash Peloton for fun. I'm actually deeply disappointed with the advertising track that the company took from moment one. Peloton has been on this whole "our customers think of their bikes as art" messaging for a while now. Don't believe me...AND you want to laugh out loud today...read this Twitter thread from January 2019.
They aren't alone in showcasing their dystopian customers in advertising. Have you SEEN the impossibly beautiful apartment neighbors who "challenge" each other on their matching Nordic Track bikes? Hey there, stalker.
Peloton is at their best is when they are being authentic...when Robin is shouting kudos over sweat and 90's Rap...and they (should) know it. In a statement made soon after the internet erupted with criticism of the now infamous ad, Peloton said, "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."
"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."
I get it. I get what they wanted to communicate. They wanted to share what their riders, their runners, their community was already sharing. So here is my question...why not let the community share what they were already sharing?
WHY DID PELOTON RECAST AUTHENTICITY?
If the community was willing to share their journey, why not celebrate that? Why recast this "real" scenario with fake, impossible and laughable surroundings and actors who have never been on a Peloton bike? The disappointment shouldn't be that people (the ones you had hoped would buy a bike) misinterpreted the ad...it should be that someone at Peloton (and their creative agency) didn't think their actual customers could sell a bike. When I first posted this thinking on LinkedIn, I received stories from marketing colleagues about their own Peloton journey as an advocate, community sales champion and bewildered CMO. This move left us all scratching out heads. With legions of devotees sharing their stories, why pick the sad eyes actress?
In an age of authenticity and lightening fast reaction, why not listen to the reactions from the first round of ads that asked why the bike was literally placed in the center of a room on an actual pedistal? Did someone make the assumption that the popularity and uptick in sales of the bike or new treadmill was from the TV advertising or the tactic of presenting the aspirational? Did someone misread a desire for inspiration as confirmation of lofty aspiration? The truth is that most Peloton riders want to be the rider with the 1 point better power readout or, quite frankly, be Robin. (Here's the truth...we all imagine ourselves BEING Robin or Ally not looking like the model hired to be in the commercial shot at the Twilight set house in the woods.
What Peloton failed to realize is that tv advertising does what it is intended to do...deliver a mass message into a vacuum where it can be consumed, spit out and trampled on by the crowd, regardless of what YOUR BRAND'S crowd believes, feels or interprets. What they missed was an opportunity to DO what they said they were DOING...celebrating and sharing the feeling their real live human customers feel about their fitness journey.
Instead, they crafted a narrative that felt a little creepy. It misfired. Having a mother explain that she had no idea how much her husband's wise purchase of a bike could change her life...not her kids, not their lives together, not her being able to prioritize herself in a life of chaos...no, it was all thanks to him. Yeah, it felt creepy. They betrayed their customer's stories and in turn betrayed their brand.
What would NOT have been creepy is a video of a real Peloton customer, in her messy, chaotic and real home talking about how this gift helped her see herself as a priority, even if for 60 minutes a day, red in the face, gasping for air and covered in sweat. They could have shared the story of a man who had lost his swagger as life races on, but found his confidence and earned his swagger back thanks to a Peloton Trak. The storylines are endless. The celebrations are posted everywhere. But it is clear that in Peloton's defense of their mis-step, they continue to ignore that the stories ARE the inspirations and aspirations, not support for an error in judgement.
If there is something we can all walk away with is a reminder that in today's customer experience driven economy, the angry noise from the crowd has real impact. For Peloton, it was a stock price hit that will recover. But the brand is now associated with a punchline -- a creepy moment they never intended and could have avoided had they just done what they set out to do: celebrate their riders and showcase the community.
