Kapusta

Yes, it is the wife's reaction and behavior that is the issue. But keep in mind that the commercial is squarely aimed at men, not women. The whole point of that ad is to appeal to men's desire for their wife to be like that woman in the commercial. So the implication is that whoever made that commercial thinks that this is what men desire.

But it is also (whether intentionally or not) suggesting to women that this is what men desire from their wives..

livedarklions

You think the notion that gifts can bear problems is new?! "Beware of Greeks bearing gifts" ring any kind of bell for you?

Seriously, if you gave a loved one a Christmas gift and they gave you nothing or didn't even thank you, would you not feel disappointed? You posted a dictionary definition, and are acting like the word has no other meanings or implications, or that the context of a gift is somehow irrelevant.

Also, do you think it's really contrary to the notion of gift-giving that the gift-giver has expectations of how the receiver is going to use the gift?
Keep doubling down on the smart-alecky stupidity. It's not getting any better.

livedarklions

I'm not basing that solely on the share price--I'm seeing a lot more media attention to Peloton coming off in a way that tarnishes what had been up to this point a pretty clean image.

The spike, btw, appears to have been caused by the announcement of a lower-priced model, and this story is crapping all over that previously good publicity. Fair or not, I think this ad is going to end up being a case study in how not to do marketing for upscale consumers.

mstateglfr 

I dont understand what this has to do with the comment you quoted or the topic in general.

Metieval

If you wasn't so screwed up on the meaning of Gift you wouldn't be asking this question.

the Answer is. No, I would not be disappointed.

A Gift doesn't require anything in exchange which would include but not limited to return gifts, thanks, their happiness, their use of the gift.

Just the act of giving is enough. I think I am starting to see why so many people are so easily offended these days. They have to damn many expectations. It's like they are too entitled to their expectations.
Hell, they can't even give true gifts.... they give strings, and they give I.O.U.'s.

which goes back to the Ad. the offended people are projecting their own feelings, definitions, and short comings onto the ad. If they truly understood an expectation free, entitlement free, string free, I.O.U. free gift. Then they wouldn't be so offended!

Happy Feet

I agree. I mean, what educated modern woman wouldn't be grateful for her husbands surprise attempts to "change" her. The husband at the end quitely contented in his knowing what's best for her... winner! And, yeah, she is portrayed as rather pathetic.
Why would women get upset about that.. I dunno. They've become so darned uppity after getting the vote.

the fact that the (predominantly) older males here don't get the disconnect doesn't matter - the ad is not about them.

To flip the script how about a blue collar man being secretly surprised by his wife selecting a work truck for him to use and he then blogs about his nervousness driving it for a year. At the end he can turn lovingly to her with teary gratitude and say that he didn't realize how much (her choice) of vehicle would change him. I'm sure that commercial would go over very well at the worksite.

tut tut.. no complaining.. it was a gift.

DaveLeeNC

I just got out of the car after a quick errands trip. The Michael Smerconish (have no idea how to spell it but that is how he says it) XM Radio show was on the radio where he and his female anchor/partner were talking briefly about the response to this ad. The lady said that she is not a Peloton owner but is 'part of the Peloton crowd' (which I took to mean that she is tight with a # of female spinner bike types at a area health club of some kind). She said the the feeling among 'the Peloton crowd' is that the reaction to this ad is completely over the top and unreasonable and that they 'completely get the ad'.

FWIW.

dave

Paul Barnard

It will be interesting to see how sales go over the course of the Christmas season and then beyond. Share price is is fickle and not an absolute indication of or predictor of corporate health.

The practical side of me looks at this and asks what impact the ad will have on potential customers. Is anyone who was seriously considering a Peloton going to see this commercial and shun the product as a result? It seems improbable to me, but I am not in their target demographic and am very slow to offend, so my read should be processed with that in mind.

livedarklions

Just skipped over the whole "Greeks bearing gifts" part. The idea of a gift with strings attached is not at all new, and your clear moral superiority over pretty much everyone else is pretty damned amusing.

Paul Barnard

I'd like to pause right there. I may have missed something in the ad or in our exchange here. How do we know this was an effort to change her? Don't we have to make some assumptions to arrive there? Could we not just as easily assume this is an attempt to support her? She was obviously fit in the beginning. Could we believe that he was getting her this because she asked for it? Can we believe he bought it for her as an upgrade to her old worn out one? Why do we assume he wants to change her?

Unca_Sam

You know, I'll go with that! I had absolutely no problem with a version where it's just the woman (or the alternate universe version I generated when I failed to pay any attention for the first and last seconds of the ad). She's doing something new and hard and connecting to friends flung far across the globe. I understand that version. Adding a relationship dynamic to it added nothing except a lever for criticism.

Metieval

Umm because in TRUTH the Trojan Horse was NOT a gift. It was a trick!

Gifts are given! if the Receivers are the ones defining the so called GIFT it is not a Gift.

livedarklions

Peloton essentially has to continue to be competitive with an increasing number of devices and arrangements that are going to be cheaper, and will have to either figure out how to be successful at a lower price point or keep the cachet needed to sell their product at a high margin. It's a tough industry where there have been plenty of flash in the pans as well as long-term successful high price manufacturers. My suspicion is that they will take at least a short-term hit in sales probably based on people reacting to the reaction (rather than the ad itself) right at a compressed Xmas buying season. Even if this is short term, this ad is going to be a costly error.

caloso

I've ridden one. It's a quality piece of equipment and it fits the niche for a certain segment of fitness minded folks. The thing to remember is that it isn't a bike; it's a piece of exercise equipment that resembles a bike. Peloton isn't for cyclists; it's for people who go to spin classes. For us cyclists, riding indoors is a necessary evil, few of us enjoy it for its own sake. Zwift/TrainerRoad and smart trainers make it more enjoyable by simulating the outside experience, but very few of us would do it rather than ride outside. But for the Soul Cycle/Team Ride/Peloton folks, that's the whole thing, that's what they enjoy. It's a different experience but that's okay for people to like what they like even if it's different than what we like.

livedarklions

I'm not proud of this, but when I was a stupid mean teenager, I gave an assistant manager who I particularly disliked a gift of an enema bag and a bottle of Drano. I did not expect anything in return and I had already quit the job. Is that what you mean?

Gifts convey messages, that's pretty much the point. Ideally, they are messages of unconditional affection, but humans being imperfect, there may be other messages, intended or otherwise conveyed by a gift. You're very fond of calling people fat, certainly you could figure out a gift that could do so in so many words--what if the husband had given her a gift certificate for a plus-size clothing store?

livedarklions

Yeah, that pretty much supports my supposition--that this forum does not really represent the people who would buy the product.

Metieval

Never argue a "what if" with a person that makes up word definitions to his liking.

because arguments are not the only hypothetical involved. Word definitions are also hypothetical.

Your gifts do... which makes them no longer gifts. So you project your ideas onto others. Likewise the many of the viewers are projecting their own BS onto the Peloton ad.

Jim from Boston

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr_bill

Made the Boston Globe (Yeah, you might not be able to get past the paywall, don't worry about it. Not much to see here other than what's reported everywhere.)

Except the very weak "local" angle is that she is "Grace from Boston." (No relation to @Jim from Boston .

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

…Indeed, I’m surprised that such a seemingly un-PC ad would be launched in our People’s Republic though there is a Peleton store in the Prudential Center in tony Back Bay…

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

The only suggestions I noticed of a Boston locale were the outdoor scenes in the background appropriate to Boston’s climate, namely Winter and Fall.

Follow up on the Metro Boston thread:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

Are the Metro Bostonians aware of this locally inspired brouhaha that has gone viral?

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr_bill

We can rule out she is not actually in Boston, but maybe somewhere nearby? Let's see if we can guess where in Metro Boston they are supposed to be:

Story board below...

-mr. bill

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

Nice analysis @mr_bill. My guess is Weston.

livedarklions

I accept your abject surrender.

Obviously, the enema bag and bottle of Drano fits your definition of a gift perfectly, and it illustrates that the motive behind the gift is important to understanding the gift's meaning.

You stretched the definition of "without the expectation of payment or anything in return." to mean "have no expectations how the gift is to be used and/or perceived". That was obviously a stupid stretch on your part.

Metieval

Genius!
Expect nothing to have no Expectations

That really isn't much of a stretch.... LMAO

indyfabz

Speak of the debil:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/pelot...131449961.html

Paul Barnard

Certainly not apples to apples, but Yeti faced those same challenges. The spin bike market is a higher price point and a much more niche product, but Yeti found a way to keep demand high for their products despite an ever growing amount of competition. Some people just have to have a Yeti, despite the fact that competitors products can offer the same appearance, performance and durability at half the cost.

livedarklions

Unbelievably lame. "in return" does not mean "how the gift is to be used and/or perceived"..

"I expect this will make you feel good" does not mean the same thing as "I expect you to pay me for this." Clipping the quotes is just asinine. Even from you, this is weak.

livedarklions

It can be done. I think the best example of this is Apple, which has been able to command a much higher margin than its competitors.

livedarklions

Yes! This is the story the ad controversy crapped on.