Peloton Fires Back At And Just Like That... With New Ad Spot

"Sex and the City" was a groundbreaking series when it first premiered in 1998. The HBO show undoubtedly changed the landscape of television forever, with Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), Samantha (Kim Cattrall) and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) inspiring women to live a life they never thought possible before. But a lot has changed since "Sex and the City" went off air in 2004, and the two theatrically released follow up films also haven't aged well. Many of the show's views towards sexuality and womanhood are largely outdated, but that didn't stop the creative team at HBO from jumping on Hollywood's reboot bandwagon.

"And Just Like That...," the official "Sex and the City" reboot, dropped its first two episodes on HBO Max on December 9. Fans were thrilled to revisit the glamorous lives of their favorite city-dwellers (minus Samantha) and to see how they've changed with age. Audiences were shocked though, when (spoiler alert!) Carrie's beloved husband Mr. Big (Chris Noth) dies of a heart attack at the end of the premiere episode, shortly after completing a 45-minute Peloton bike ride.

The fitness company, which has become the biggest name in at-home stationary cycling, was of course unhappy with the show suggesting that one of their classes led to a man's death. Their concerns were not just a PR issue though — Peloton's stock dropped dramatically following the episode's premiere (via CNBC). Now, the company is striking back with a new ad spot. 

A new ad spot featuring Chris Noth himself cheekily responds to the devastating death of Mr. Big. The 37-second ad shows Noth sitting cozily on the couch with Jess King, the Peloton instructor who led that fateful class in "And Just Like That...". "To new beginnings," Noth says, eventually suggesting to the woman that they "take another ride ... Life's too short not to," as the camera pans back to reveal two Peloton bikes.

"And just like that," a voice-over begins, "the world was reminded that regular cycling stimulates your heart, lungs, and circulation, reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease." It continues to list the other various benefits of a regular Peloton habit too. If the voiceover sounds familiar to you, there's a good reason why, as it's none other than Ryan Reynolds. He's Chief Creative Officer at adtech company MNTN, and they're the team behind the clever advertisement.

As Peloton pointed out in a statement following that fateful "And Just Like That..." episode, "Mr. Big lived what many would call an extravagant lifestyle, including cocktails, cigars, and big steaks" (via CNBC), and had previously experienced heart issues earlier in the series' original run. The character's death, like the rest of the "Sex and the City" franchise, shows that sometimes bad things happen, but with good friends, we can get through it all.