Peloton Interactive, Inc. was a fitness company offering home workout classes and streamed exercise programs on their equipment. In the past, to boost sales of their exercise bicycles, Peloton initiated a holiday campaign to promote their new stationary bike.
The commercial faced criticism from both the media and the general public, with concerns ranging from sexism and unchecked privilege to promoting negative body image. The focal point of controversy in the advertisement revolved around the message a husband conveys to his wife when gifting her an exercise bicycle for Christmas. As such, this is an ideal critical incident to share during the holiday season.
This critical incident requires students to analyze the "offensiveness" factor in communication. It has been utilized in an introductory undergraduate course called Advertising and Society, but it can also be used in introductory and advanced courses in mass communication, ethics, public relations, advertising, or marketing.