Peloton's confusing holiday ad has turned into a viral internet meme - and it's dragging the company through the mud at a critical moment

• Peloton recently released a holiday ad that garnered a lot of criticism online.
• The backlash to the ad comes amid a crucial shorter-than-usual holiday shopping season.
• The ad has inspired numerous spin-offs and memes poking fun at the commercial.
• In a statement to CNBC, a spokesperson said the company "was disappointed in how some have misinterpreted this commercial."
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Peloton's flop of a holiday commercial is turning into a viral meme.

The ad, which was released on YouTube on November 21 and is being shown on TV, caused a largely negative response online. People criticized the ad for many reasons, including its awkward structure and ambiguous and possibly sexist message.

In a statement to CNBC, a spokesperson said the company "was disappointed in how some have misinterpreted this commercial." Peloton did not return Business Insider's request for comment about the ad.

Raymond James analyst Justin Patterson predicted that the ad would be pulled in a Tuesday note and said his company was interested to see "how Peloton adjusts its marketing strategy given a history of Internet memes."

This social media uproar comes amid a crucial - and shorter - holiday shopping season for retailers. However, Patterson said he does not believe the ad will affect holiday sales.

Different images of the main character in the ad are being meme-ified in various contexts.