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Woman in Peloton ad soothes her commercial hangover by drinking gin with friends in new spot

The woman who starred in the much-derided holiday advertisement for the cycling fitness brand Peloton is back, and this time she’s turning over a new leaf in a commercial for gin.
/ Source: TODAY

The woman who starred in the much-derided holiday advertisement for the cycling fitness brand Peloton is back, and this time she’s turning over a new leaf in a commercial for gin.

In the original ad, a woman’s husband gets her one of the expensive stationary bikes and she documents her fitness journey for the next year. Many decried the ad on social media, including some who said it sent a sexist message.

In this new commercial released Friday night for Aviation Gin, the woman reprises her character who seemingly is getting help from her friends after escaping what the Washington Post called a “dystopian fitness inspo hellscape” of her old life.

Ryan Reynolds, who owns the company, tweeted the 41 second video Friday night.

“Exercise bike not included,” he wrote.

The ad begins with the actress’ eyes open wide, looking into the camera. The shot widens to show her sitting at a bar with two friends.

“This gin is really smooth,” she says, as her friends agree.

“We can get you another one if you’d like,” one says.

“You’re safe here,” the other friend chimes in.

“To new beginnings,” the Peloton commercial actress says, as their glasses clink together. She then proceeds to down the entire drink.

“This is gonna be a fun night,” one of her friends says, eyes wide.

The ad cuts to a holiday-themed shot of a bottle of Aviation gin, as one of the friends says “you look great by the way.”

So far, the social media reactions have been very positive to the commercial.

“I’ve never seen a crossover like this before,” @MrPunsofSteele wrote.

“This should be used as an example of how social media ads should be done in the viral culture age,” @thebrandonmccoy tweeted. “This is great.”

“This is the greatest commercial in this history of commercials,” another tweeted.

“Okay someone on your team deserves a raise,” author Jessica Knoll replied.

Since the Peloton ad attracted the ire of the internet the company did see shares drop as the complaints reached a fever pitch.

The fitness brand issued a statement, saying their ad was “misinterpreted.”

“We constantly hear from our members how their lives have been meaningfully and positively impacted after purchasing or being gifted a Peloton Bike or Tread, often in ways that surprise them,” a company spokesperson told CNBC in an email.

“Our holiday spot was created to celebrate that fitness and wellness journey. 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.”

Even the man who portrayed the husband, actor Sean Hunter, said he's been getting backlash for the ad.

"My 5 seconds of air time created an array of malicious feedback that is all associated with my face. My friend texted me today declaring that I’m 'a symbol of the patriarchy,'" he said.

Hunter jokingly posted to his Instagram account, aptly named @pelotonhusband, on Friday after the Aviation commercial came out.

"Honey, are you not coming home tonight?" he asked. "Guess the bike is mine now...?"