And just like that, Peloton created a 🔥 ad quicker than Carrie could dial 911.

For those who somehow missed it, HBO Max's “Sex and the City” revival premiere episode ended with the death of Chris Noth’s character, Mr. Big, who had a heart attack while riding his Peloton bike.

According to analysts, the incident played a role in the company’s shares falling 11% last week (1). Eek.

I couldn’t help but wonder, why did Peloton sign off on having someone die on their bike? Or is it possible that Peloton truly did not know about HBO's plan?

The company's initial response left much to be desired. Peloton's cardiologist (yes, apparently that's an actual job) released a statement to E! news the next day that basically said “joke's on you, HBO. Riding a Peloton makes you healthy!”

"These lifestyle choices and perhaps even his family history, which often is a significant factor, were the likely cause of his death. Riding his Peloton Bike may have even helped delay his cardiac event."

- Peloton's cardiologist, Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum

This is all a bit too much for a death of a fictional character; however, Peloton's next move was nothing short of genius. Within 48 hours, Peloton released “Unspoiler Alert." This quick response is not only hilarious, it's a great marketing case study on how a brand can pivot from a potential crisis to a big win.

The result? Share prices rose 7.4% on Monday, 12/13.

That said, BMO Capital Markets analysts called our that although the incident is unlikely to impact sales, "it does question whether [Peloton] is losing degrees of control over its storytelling, perhaps its greatest achievement to date.” (2)

Nevertheless, Peloton deserves major praise for its quick recovery via some smart creativity and agility.

#crisiscommunications #togetherwegofar