Peloton debuts new campaign featuring real riders in first advertisement since its infamous 'Peloton Wife' holiday commercial

• Peloton debuted a new advertising campaign this week starring real riders including a teacher, a former NFL player, and a baker, among others.
• The campaign is the first from the fitness company since its infamous "Peloton Wife" advertisement in December 2019.

Nearly a year after Peloton's infamous holiday advertising campaign incensed the internet, the fitness company is back with a new commercial series featuring real riders.

The campaign — which is titled "We All Have Our Reasons" and began airing on Monday — spotlights a handful of actual Peloton users instead of the traditional actors and models the brand has used in the past. The spots include a school teacher, a former NFL player, and a baker, among others, discussing their experience with Peloton and how it fits into their lives.

The one-minute television spots are a far cry in tone from Peloton's controversial December 2019 commercial, which featured actress Monica Ruiz capturing her fitness journey over the course of a year through a series of selfies after her husband gifted her a Peloton bike. Outrage quickly spread on the internet over theh "Peloton Wife," for what many deemed a sexist and outdated message about the need for women to live up to beauty and fitness standards set by society.

According to Dara Treseder, Peloton's head of global marketing, the about-face "has nothing to do with anything that has happened in the past," telling Business Insider's Tanya Dua earlier this week that the television spots are focused on "showcasing what's great about Peloton in a way that's authentic and representative of the communities we serve.

The campaign — which marks Peloton's largest ad spend to date — also points to the company's recent effort to democratize its products, such as introducing a cheaper model of its popular stationary bike.

"Our goal is to be the go-to at-home fitness solution for as many people as possible," John Foley, Peloton CEO and co-founder, said in a statement after announcing the cheaper bike. "And with these new product launches, we'll be able to offer access to Peloton's best-in-class fitness content at various price points, depending on what consumers are looking for, especially in a world where people are increasingly working out at home."