Peloton Caught Up In Sex & City Death Drama
Currently trying to set up an operaion in Australia, fitness equipment Company Peloton, has seen their shares slide 11.3% after an actor died of a heart attack in a scene from HBO Max’s new “Sex and the City”.
Shares in the Company that recently established a store within a store at David Jones, his a 19-month low after falling 73% during the past 12 months to trade at US$38 this weekend.
The actor was shown dying of a heart attack after a 45-minute power workout on one of the company’s exercise bikes.
An insider told ChannelNews “Peloton was aware of their brand being used in the series, and approved the product placement, but they were not aware how the bike might actually be used. So, what might have actually been an attempt to boost their brand visibility might actually have hurt their brand reputation”
As ChannelNews has revealed Peloton who charges a monthly subscription to get access to software to use their exercise bikes, has not had an easy ride with the health and safety of their products.
In the USA there have been several tragic incidents where a Peloton treadmill led to the death of a child and multiple injuries. This led to Peloton’s treadmill being recalled.
According to Peloton, the company had approved the show’s use of the bike as well as the appearance of “Allegra,” a fictional instructor played by real-life Peloton cycling instructor Jess King.
However, Peloton did not know that “And Just Like That,” which premiered Dec. 9, would show Mr. Big, played by Chris Noth, collapsing and then dying after a Peloton workout.
Mr. Big was the on-again-off-again love interest of protagonist Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) before they married in “Sex and the City: The Movie.” “And just like that — Big died,” Carrie says in the scene.
Peloton responded claiming “Whilst the Peloton bike was in the scene, Mr Big was known for living an extravagant lifestyle of cocktails, cigars, and big steaks”.
Another observer said, “Either way, it’s caused damage to their brand and will be a poignant reminder for businesses to double-check where their product placement will be used.”