As the holidays draw near and Peloton stock continues to sink, the company is seeking to rebound from a recent series of selloffs with a new ad that touts the company's equipment and parodies the premiere episode of HBO Max's "Sex and the City" reboot.
SPOILER ALERT: During the first episode of "And Just Like That...," Mr. Big (Chris Noth), the longtime lover interest of Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), dies after completing his 1,000th Peloton exercise class with instructor Jess King.
Peloton's cheeky ad provides somewhat of an alternate ending for fans wanting to see Noth portray Mr. Big one last time. In the 38-second holiday ad, Noth is seen sitting in front of the fire with King, his Peloton instructor.
"You look great," King tells Noth, who replies, "I feel great."
"Shall we take another ride? Life is too short not to," Noth adds with a chuckle.
As the camera zooms out to reveal two Peloton at-home exercise bikes, actor Ryan Reynolds is overheard providing a voiceover that appears to counter the idea that Mr. Big's unexpected death was directly attributable to his 45-minute workout.
"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," Reynolds touted. "Cycling strengthens your heart muscles, lowers resting pulse and reduces blood fat levels. He's alive."
This is not the first time Peloton has addressed the use of its brand in the limited series, as Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, a member of a Peloton health and wellness council, asserted to the LA Times that the fictional character's untimely death should not be linked to the exercise bike, but to his "extravagant lifestyle" and previous heart attack.
"Mr. Big lived what many would call an extravagant lifestyle — including cocktails, cigars, and big steaks — and was at serious risk as he had a previous cardiac event in Season 6," she noted. "These lifestyle choices and perhaps even his family history, which often is a significant factor, were the likely cause of his death."
In fact, his Peloton classes may have assisted in delaying another cardiac event, Steinbaum offered.