Critics call out this ad for the over-priced Peloton exercising bike—sexism—snobbery—deception

By SJ Otto

So far this season I have written about advertizing in general, even when it is not the Christmas season and I have written about Black Friday and other articles about the ridiculous advertising that clutters up our TVs and social media.
I was very glad when I found out that an ad for a Peloton exercising bike has received a shit-load of flack for peddling an extremely expensive item, in a sexist and demeaning way. I found the ad extremely annoying for a number of reasons and I was glad when I found out other people have complained about it also.
My biggest complaint against advertising is the outright deception. Sure, at times the product or service is not what it claims, but there are other types of deception. Most of these ads use actors who have nothing to do with the actual product. They use propaganda techniques that have been used to deceive people over political candidates and causes. We often see such techniques as just plain folks, the bandwagon affect, snob appeal and the stacked deck. The worst deception is in creating a desire/ need where none really exists. It is only when the deception is extra bad that people complain about ads. That is what has happened with the Peloton ad.
According to CNN:

“Social media is awash in critics who have seen the ad and are confounded by its aims, accusing Peloton of peddling negative body image, unchecked privilege, and gross marital dynamics.

This much is clear: We're living in a post-Peloton holiday ad world now.”

Another part of the article looks at, what they call “privilege.” The bike cost over $2,000, so this is not a simple gift for the average household. The ad is aimed at upper-middle to upper class households. Again CNN said:

“Past Peloton ads haven't inspired as much buzz as this one has, but critics have knocked the privileged consumers they portray and market to.

In a thread, a Twitter user who uses the handle Clue Heywood poked fun at all the Peloton ads that take place in million-dollar homes with "panoramic living rooms" and "glass-enclosed zen gardens," starring thin women and men who don't sweat as much as they shimmer.”

This is a very bourgeois ad and the deception here is that the cost of this bike is never mentioned. Critics have accused the ad of being sexist. They also criticize it for promoting unrealistic body images. Again in the CNN article:

“Critics suggested it smacked of sexism. In a biting clip, comedian Eva Victor skewered the fact that a husband bought his wife an exercise bike seemingly unprompted -- what message does that send to the wife, then?

Perhaps Grace from Boston just wanted an actual bike or an Instant Pot or something, but in Victor's clip, it seems her husband was nudging her toward weight loss.

About weight loss -- It's never explicitly mentioned that Grace from Boston uses the bike to slim down, and she's already quite slender when we meet her. We know exercise benefits the body and mind, but in this ad and others, it seems Peloton bikes are used only by people who are already fit.”

And for me the part of the ad that I really find deceptive is when the woman in the ad said:

"A year ago, I didn't realize how much this would change me," she says, now a full believer.”

So what is so great about this machine that she believes the bike has changed her? This is the part, similar to most other ads, in which the actor acts as if the product is miraculous and convinces her (or him in other commercials) that she could never live without this wonderful product. It has been pointed out that, after a year, this actress looks the same. So there is no logical explanation as to why this product is so wonderful that she can no longer imagine that she or anyone else could live without this exercising bike.
I hope other ads come under the same kind of scrutiny that this one did. It may not be possible to get rid of advertising at this time, as they did in Cuba, but at least we can put advertisers under the kind of scrutiny that will promote more honesty in their work—and less deception.

Peloton’s ‘Grace From Boston’ Holiday Ad Has Angered The Internet