Peloton Drops Holiday Ad Campaign, Leaning Into Fitness for All
As Peloton looks to add to its subscriber count, its latest ad campaign showcases the company’s fitness equipment and inclusive vibe
In an ever-looking-ahead society where Black Friday ads started before Halloween, Peloton’s new holiday campaign encourages overwhelmed consumers to take a beat and let it all out in an invigorating workout. The latest messaging from the connected fitness company? “Work Out Your Way.”
The new campaign comes as the next step in Peloton’s recent rebrand and also serves to ignite the company’s holiday deals, with up to $700 off of Peloton purchases.
Beloved Peloton instructors Alex Toussaint and Kendall Toole kick off the accompanying 1:00 promo, featuring the company’s signature Peloton Bike and Tread, along with fitness enthusiasts of all ages putting their unique twist on their workout and having a blast as “Tambourine” by Eve plays.
“At a time when most brands are talking about joy and togetherness, and fitness brands are still talking about goals, we wanted to do something very different,” said Oli Snoddy, vice president of consumer marketing at Peloton. “Whether as a compliment to the holidays, or an antidote to the season, we just wanted to show fitness as a fun vibe. A reminder that whatever you need…to sweat, to get stronger, to destress…you can always work out your way with Peloton.”
The clip will reside on Peloton’s social media channels, while two shortened versions will air in the US and Canada on TV, digital and social.
“Peloton inspires you to work out your way, free from inhibition. Wear whatever you like. Sing out loud. Dance along. Go for it,” said Cameron Temple, executive creative director at Stink Studios, which helped produce the video content. “We had a blast putting this campaign together and that’s exactly what we wanted to capture in the spot: the genuine fun of a Peloton workout.
Fitness for All: Peloton’s Path Forward
While the connected fitness company was once a status symbol of high earners in suburbia under the reign of former CEO and co-founder John Foley, the ad campaign continues to highlight Peloton’s evolution under the current leadership of Barry McCarthy. A former Spotify and Netflix exec, McCarthy is soon entering his second year as Peloton’s CEO and has navigated continuous challenges in a post-pandemic environment and unexpected (costly) surprises, such as a widespread seat post recall.
Under McCarthy, Peloton has undergone a complete rebrand as it looks to retain its core demographic while also attracting cost-conscious Gen Z, men, Black and Latin X consumers into its orbit.
Much like Peloton’s initial ad campaign announcing its rebrand, the new “Work Out Your Way” promo is inclusive of all, with one young man even working out in his kitchen after snacking on what appears to be potato chips from a bag.
Peloton’s new vibe is a far cry from its promos of the past, which commonly depicted affluent home settings that probably haven’t ever had a bag of chips in their custom-crafted cabinets. The Peloton of the past had drawn criticism, especially for one holiday promo in 2019 where a wife is gifted a Peloton by her partner. The ad was panned by critics who saw it as sexist and dystopian, causing shares of Peloton to dive and leading to the company to release a statement on the ad being “misinterpreted.”
Armed with a new vision, Peloton is considerably less likely to catch heat with its new holiday ad. Earlier this spring, Peloton adopted an “anyone, anywhere” ethos that invited fitness enthusiasts without its high-priced hardware and offered its app as a pathway with three tiers, one of which allowed consumers to enjoy free content, while the other two were available with a fee.
Playing the Long Game
Although McCarthy believes the rebrand has been a success, Peloton hasn’t converted as many free users into paying members as it had hoped. The fitness company’s first quarter results for 2024 show it lost a net reduction of 33,000 paid connected fitness subscribers and 65,000 paid app subscribers. In response, Peloton is now shifting its focus to its paid app, which it says is working.
Still, there have been some wins, especially as of late. The connected fitness titan recently forged a five-year global partnership with athleisure giant Lululemon and inked several deals, including with the NBA and WNBA, Liverpool Football Club, the University of Michigan and New York Road Runners.
In fitness hardware, Peloton is banking on reintroducing its Tread+ this quarter — a piece of equipment that McCarthy believes holds such promise that he gave it a special shoutout in Peloton’s recent earnings call with investors.
“Of all the products that I’ve ever been exposed to at Peloton, the one single product that you couldn’t pry out of the dead hands of members is the Tread+,” he said of the device. “I mean, they were absolutely over the top, fanatically obsessed about the user experience on the Tread+. Dramatically, exponentially, more emotionally with that product than anything we’ve ever produced.”
