TV Heart Attacks Give Peloton Heart Palpitations [Abbott Media Group Blog]

Two TV shows featuring regular characters having heart attacks while using a Peloton exercise bike are giving the bike company heart palpitations.

Viewers were shocked when, during the premiere of HBO’s Max’s Sex and the City reboot And Just Like That, series regular “Mr. Big” (Chris Noth) had a heart attack on his Peloton. Turns out, the company not only knew about the product placement, but actively participated in the show featuring it.

But in January, the company got an unexpected jolt when yet another show featured a heart attack, this time, Showtime’s hit, Billions, portrayed longtime character Mike Wagner (David Costabile) as having a heart attack while using the bike.

The company released a statement on twitter saying they had nothing to do with THIS placement and didn’t approve its name or product’s use in the show.

“We get TV shows want to include @onepeloton to get people talking, but to be clear, we did *not* agree for our brand or IP to be used on @SHO_Billions or provide any equipment, As the show itself points out, cardio-vascular exercise helps people lead long, happy lives.”

As a popular appliance and icon of the pandemic age, the Peloton bike is surely well known enough to merit use and even ridicule in popular American culture.

But this wasn’t the first time the brand has had a PR crisis on its hands.

Most of us first learned of the bike through its infamous 2019 TV ad in which a rather thin, attractive young woman receives a Peloton bike as a Christmas gift from her husband,  making a video for hi in which she had a pained look on her face. The ad prompted many to question whether such a “gift” from a man would be inappropriate or even insulting.  

The resulting near-endless analysis of the ad was a PR disaster for the company, who had hoped for a more painless and positive launch.

The recent features the product has received are not *positive* either, but also not entirely negative.
The company’s response was quick and appropriate, and most people will understand that the product doesn’t have this effect on ALL of its users. Still, one doesn’t ever want your exercise product attached to the concept of a heart attack, or any other medical emergency.

Unlike Mr. Big, the company will survive this.

That time when Shark Tank laughed a surgical mask designer off the stage [Abbott Media Group]

When you make a mistake, own it. That's a solid public relations principle far too few in business, politics, and entertainment follow, probably because it's difficult.

Shark Tank's Daymond John recently demonstrated just that principle, however, in a video and post on his Instagram feed.

Barbara Corcoran also says it was a missed opportunity

On September 6, 2009, Irinia Blok, a 32-year-old American immigrant from Russia, had appeared on the ABC show "Shark Tank," then in its first season.

She was pitching her unique business idea, "Face Blok," surgical masks that are whimsically decorated. She told the sharks that there was actually demand for them in hospitals, though she had only sold a few hundred.

She was met with uproarious laughter from all the Sharks almost immediately.

Her segment, when it aired, was clearly played for laughs, with "circus clown" music heard on the show when she spoke.

The Sharks were incredulous at the concept, some even refusing to try on the masks when Blok offered. Kevin O'Leary tried on a mask featuring a pig snout, doubting openly whether anyone would wear such a thing. Daymond John mockingly wore one on his head.

She said she received 700,000 hits on her website after media coverage. But O'Leary noted that the Swine Flu epidemic earlier that year was "an epidemic that came and went," and prophetically said, "You need a new epidemic to get that kind of hit profile again." Prophetic.

Jump ahead to Aug. 26, 2020, when that same Daymond John posted a video of the segment to his Instagram feed titled, "hindsight is 2020." He wrote:

"As we've come to see, many entrepreneurs have visions/ideas better way ahead of the times. Sure, the ideas may seem ridiculous or even comical, at the time, but as we're starting to learn, we shouldn't dismiss them altogether because one day, they may prove to be useful, such as these novelty masks. 

There didn't seem to be a purpose for them back then, but Irinia Blok was definitely on to something because look at us now... we're all wearing masks. The joke is on us now!"

Shark Tank’ star Barbara Corcoran similarly recalls her ‘worst missed investment’: ‘If only I knew then what I know now!’ she told Grow investment magazine in 2021. 

The bottom line is that it's important to admit and "own" your mistakes, hasty judgements, and oversights. Kudos to Daymond and Barbara for doing that so, publicly!

As for Irinia, she's doing just fine. Before her appearance on the show, in 2007, as a member of Google's graphic design staff, she had independently created the now-famous green robot logo later adopted by the company for its Android phone operating system. It became synonymous with the product in the 2010s.

She no longer sells the designer masks, but has a full-time job as design lead at Google Research/AI. Not a bad consolation prize!

Online: https://www.irinablok.com/

"Stand By You" Budweiser 2018 #SuperBowlAd is a #PR Winner [Abbott Media Group]

Budweiser took the early lead in the "Public Relations Super Bowl" with its ad, "Stand by You," which aired early in the Third Quarter Sunday night.

The ad tells the story, in a simplified manner, of their efforts to provide cans of water to areas in need during natural disasters in Puerto Rico, California, Florida, Houston, and elsewhere.

I say "simplified," because the beer producing company clearly doesn't switch over to making water by pushing a single button in the brewing facility. But switch over they do, and the good they do is undeniable.

The ad is emotional and effective, clearly portraying the company and its dedicated employees in a positive light. And it's bound to be discussed in post-game discussions throughout the country's living rooms, as well as in the media early in the week. Those in areas of the nation they've served during natural disasters will definitely be talking about this.

This is a clear PR Win for the company, with great exposure during this high profile game.

Nicely done, Budweiser. You win the Super Bowl #PR Ad War!

--------------------
Let #AbbottMediaGroup throw a PR and Reputation "Touchdown" for your company, campaign or organization. www.abbottmediagroup.com