‘Peloton husband’ buys real-life girlfriend Peloton bike for Christmas
‘This is a marketing ploy by Peloton,’ writes Twitter user
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Your support makes all the difference.The actor who starred in Peloton‘s viral advert has bought his real-life girlfriend a Peloton stationary bike for Christmas.
In the advert, released last month, actor Sean Hunter plays a man who gives his wife (played by Monica Ruiz) a Peloton on Christmas morning.
She then documents her workouts on the Peloton bike throughout the following year, recording videos to share her experiences.
But the 30-second advert was derided on social media, with viewers labelling it “sexist” and “dystopian”.
Viewers specifically took issue with the fact that the man in the video gives his partner exercise equipment as a holiday present.
Now, Hunter, whose Instagram handle is @PelotonHusband, has poked fun at the backlash, uploading a photograph of him and his girlfriend, model Cassidy Baras, alongside a Peloton bike on Christmas Day.
“Here’s hoping this goes over better the second time....,” Hunter wrote in the caption below.
“Merry Christmas to my actual girlfriend (pls don’t leave me).”
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Sean Hunter (@pelotonhusband) on
Many of Hunter’s followers saw the funny side, with one person commenting: “I call this a happy ending”.
But others were quick to voice their suspicions that Peloton themselves could be behind the post.
“This is a marketing ploy by Peloton,” tweeted one person.
Another added: “How many millions in free advertising have you received, @onepeloton? You must be ecstatic.”
Following the backlash to the advert, Peloton released a statement defending its intentions.
A representative for the company told CNBC: “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.”
Hunter, who balances acting and modelling alongside his role as a primary school teacher, also commented on the criticism, telling Psychology Today that he hopes the role does not have long-term impacts on his life.
“I’m grappling with the negative opinions as none of them have been constructively helpful,” Hunter said.
“It’s really hard to improve when all feedback goes against any type of growth. I currently sit here hoping that I’ll be able to continue auditioning for commercials without any taint, and that if my students happen to find the commercial and recognise me, they won’t think about me any different than they already know me.”
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